Code Geass: A Different Code
by Thanathos
Summary: What would have happened if it hadn't been C.C. that was in the container? My first try at Code Geass, please tell me what you think. Will have a few changes in the story, or some things wouldn't make sense. No Yaoi
1. Prelude

Code Geass: A different Code

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass

* * *

The year was august 10th in the year 2010 of the imperial calender. The holy Britannian Empire had just declared war upon Japan. The far-east island nation had held vast to its neutrality, and now Britannia looms as the worlds only superpower. Japan became a dominion of the Empire. The country was tripped of its freedom, its rights and its name. Area 11. The defeated and once proud nation of Japan was rechristened with a mere number.

-0-

_2010 a.t.b._

Lelouch vi Britannia stood in the ruins of a small town at the shore, his best friend Suzaku sitting beside him, staring at the remains of his country. His sister, blind and crippled, was waiting in a car the Ashford family, old friends of their mother who had fallen from the emperor's graze after she had been assassinated. Lelouch looked around him again. Why had his father sent them to a country he invaded not a month afterwards? Apparently, when his father had said they were dead to him, he hadn't been kidding. His father was a heartless monster. He had decided to disappear with his sister before his father found them and found a new way to use them as pawns. But Lelouch knew that he would make those who had wronged them pay dearly for what they did. They had destroyed his world, so he would destroy theirs.

"I swear" Suzaku looked up as his best friend spoke "I swear Suzaku so help me. I will one day..."

Suzaku had never seen his friend so angered before. Something dangerous was glowing in his eyes.

"...obliterate Britannia!" He had no doubts that his friend was dead serious.

-0-

_2017 a.t.b._

Lelouch Lamperouge was sitting in the side-car of his self-proclaimed best friend Rivalz bike, on his way to a technically illegal chess match. If he won, he'd have enough money to support him and his sister Nunnally for more than a month. Not that he was worried about losing, most nobles hardly knew how to play and intimidated their opponents into making mistakes and using these to win. He noticed the viceroy of Area 11, Clovis la Britannia, was making another speech about something. He smiled sadly. If fate had been less cruel to him, chances were he could have been in Clovis place, holding a similar speech. He remembered the day where it all went wrong.

-0-

_2010 a.t.b._

_It was a warm day and the young prince, Lelouch vi Britannia, had returned from the gardens of the Aries Villa where he had played hide and seek with his younger sister, Nunnaly. Nunnaly had found a little glass bear in a tree branch, but Lelouch was sure his mother had put it there for them to find. Not that that stopped his sister from bragging.  
__  
_"_Look, Lelouch, he's so cute." He rolled his eyes._

"_Yes Nunnally, you've said that five times already, I heard you the first time. But I'm willing to bet it was mother who put that bear in one of your favorite hiding places." Marianne vi Britannia could be a intimidating woman, but to her children, she had always been kind and gentle._

_Nunnally stretched her tongue out towards him and said "You're just jealous because I found it. Come on, I want to show it to mommy. Maybe we can have a picnic afterwards, we have such nice weather." Lelouch liked the idea and smiled._

_"__Let's find mother so we can ask her."_

_They searched the villa for their mother, but initially couldn't find her, until they searched the entrance hall. There she was, standing on the stairs apparently waiting for someone, although Lelouch had no idea who might be coming today. Maybe Schneizel, Lelouch wanted a rematch after that last round of chess he had lost. Nunnally ran towards their mother showing her the glass bear._

_"__Mommy, look what I found!" For a moment, his mother looked annoyed, but when Lelouch looked again, she had her usual, kind expression. He must have imagined it. Then, a young boy about Lelouch's age entered, a determined look on his face, like he was about to try to do something he considered nearly impossible. Lelouch knew that look very well. It was the same look his big brother Clovis and his big sister Cornelia had when they challenged him to a game of chess. And then, in a split second, Lelouch's world broke apart._

_The window shattered, gunfire roaring through the frame and hitting Marianne vi Britannia who was trying to shield her daughter, but to no avail. Nunnally vi Britannia was hit in the legs multiple times. A second later, it was over. The boy was gone._

_His mother had been looking behind her, but now she slowly turned her head, as if trying to look at him, but before their eyes could meet, she slumped together and didn't move anymore. His sister was under his mother, blood flowing from her legs, her eyes opened wide in shock. The bear had shattered, if the cause was a bullet or simply the fall was not clear. Blood and pain and shambles, that was all that was left of his happiness, his loved ones. Lelouch started to scream._

-0-

_2017 a.t.b._

"Hey Lelouch, did you fall asleep? We're here." Rivalz called. Lelouch looked up. They had indeed arrived. It was time to earn some money.

Lelouch looked his opponent. Another arrogant noble, who hardly payed any attention to them, his main focus being on his nails. Lelouch glanced at the board to see what his predecessor had left him to work with.

"You can't win this one, it's impossible, right?" Rivalz had looked at the chessboard. Indeed, it seemed like an almost certain victory for the noble, but Lelouch knew that if he'd play seriously he could crush the man in five minutes at most. But what fun would that be?

"Rivalz, when would have to leave in order to make our next class?" Lelouch asked. Rivalz thought about it for a minute.

"Twenty minutes, if we bust our humps." He then answered. Lelouch smiled.

"Then be sure to drive safely on the way back, I'll need nine minutes." Enough time to play a bit of cat and mouse with his unsuspecting opponent. The nobleman seemed surprised.

"Nine minutes? But you have only twenty seconds per move!"

"Enough time." Lelouch stated and moved his king. The nobleman seemed amused.

"You start with the king? Mwhahaha!" Lelouch smiled a seemingly innocent smile. The would never know what hit him.

-0-

Meanwhile, a truck was being driven over a street, heading into the Tokyo settlement, a military helicopter hot on their trail. A man was driving, while a young woman on the passenger seat kept looking in the rear mirror. They were wearing blueish-white uniforms and were nervous. The woman cursed.

"Damn it! How did they find us so soon?" The man ground his teeth.

"Perfect," He swore "after we finally steal this damn thing! And it's all because Tamaki couldn't stick to Naoto's plan, and now we've got a problem!"

-0-

Rivalz looked at his stopwatch. Eight minutes and twelve seconds had passed, and Lelouch looked like he was in trouble. The noble was smiling, he was certain the boy would lose, in fact, he would checkmate him in two turns. Suddenly Lelouch smiled and moved his queen right next to the nobleman's king.

"Checkmate." He said while smiling. The noble blinked. It was true, the queen would take his king next turn and he couldn't take the boy's queen because it was protected by a pawn. He had lost because of a _pawn_, and while he had the advantage as well. He had had the chance to take that pawn many times, but he had always went after the more valuable pieces instead. He couldn't believe it. He had given the wager to his butler, who handed it to the boy, seeing that the lord of the house would be unable to act for a while. The boys left, while the noble was still staring at the board.

When they left the mansion, Rivalz cheered. "I just love playing against the nobility. When they lose, they always pay out of pride. By the way, eight minutes thirty-two seconds is a new record."

Lelouch seemed bored."He also didn't have much time to move either. And as opponents go, the nobles are tepid. They're just overprivileged parasites, that's all."

"Well then, why don't you challenge one of the Elevens? They're nothing like us Britannians. Huh?" Rivalz turned around to see the news reporting about a new terrorist attack. Then Clovis was holding some cheesy speech about how it hurt him to see all that suffering. 'That might actually be true, he always was more of a pacifist. But then again, he used to be rather quiet, and nowadays it's near impossible to get him to shut up. He spends half his time on television. No wonder terrorism is blooming.'

While the television asked for a moment of silence, Lelouch helped Rivalz get his bike ready to leave. Rivalz looked at Lelouch. "Aren't you going to join in?"

"Aren't you?" Lelouch replied. Rivalz grinned.

"It's kinda embarrassing."

"And I agree with you. Besides, spilling tears over those people won't bring them back to life, now will it?" If it did, Lelouch's tears would have brought his mother back long ago.

Rivalz put on his goggles. "Dang, that's dark, buddy."

"It's all about self-satisfaction. In the end, it's impossible to change the world." Lelouch stated, a bitter tone hidden in his voice.

-0-

The cameras stopped filming and Clovis stepped down from the stage.

"You were magnificent, your highness. One would never guess you were attending a party while doing that." A noblewoman stated. Clovis smiled.

"It's all in the performance. Since the media want a charismatic leader, I give them one." He said, before mentally adding 'And since you blood-suckers want an arrogant, number-hating prince, I give you one.' He wished Lelouch were here. He would find a way to kick all of them out forever without sounding impolite, but Clovis hadn't even managed to get much pro-number legislation down because they would always object. Clovis was working on a way to do both, but without success so far. Clovis really only wanted to have his peace, remember happier times and finish the painting he had recently started, not to be involved with these rich racists or that Code-R project his adviser Bartley worked on with such fascination. 'Well, speak of the devil.' Clovis thought as Bartley came rushing in, a slightly stressed look on his face. Clovis liked that look, it was finally a change to the smug grin he started to wear permanently since he had heard that there was some sort of major promotion planned for him. Bartley had started to act like he was some sort of demigod, and as if failure was now beneath him. Which made the almost panicked look on the man's so much more amusing. But when Clovis heard what had happened, he almost panicked himself.

"You fool!" He shouted, enjoying the fact that he could finally put the man back in his place "How could this have happened?" Then he added, this time whispering to avoid listeners "What now? If this is discovered..." Even though he had nothing to do with this project besides having a vague idea what it was about, he knew that if that information reached the public, he would be seen as an accomplice. And if that happened, he would be disinherited at best, maybe even banished like his siblings Lelouch and Nunnally, and he knew how that would end.

"I think it's best if we deploy all available forces, including the Knightmares and the royal guard, to solve this affair quickly." Clovis nodded. That seemed to be the only way. He only hoped it wouldn't cause too much bloodshed.

-0-

Lelouch and Rivalz were heading back to the academy when Rivalz asked "That first move you made, why did you start with the king?"

"If the king does not lead, how can expect his subordinates to follow?" Lelouch replied.

"What's with that?" Rivalz asked "Do you fantasize about running a major company?" Lelouch laughed.

"No way, ambitions like that will ruin your health." In fact, he had once dreamed of running a major empire, but that was in the past. Suddenly, he got a very bad feeling and a moment later he knew why. A huge truck was right behind them, blocking practically the entire road. Rivalz noticed them as well and screamed in terror.

"We're gonna die!"

-0-

"You idiots! Watch where your going!" the driver shouted and turned the wheel.

"No, not that way!" the female passenger shouted, but it was too late. The truck drove on to a construction site and crashed into the metal bars.

-0-

Rivalz blinked. "Was that our fault?" he asked.

"I don't think so." Lelouch said, and then he had a feeling that there was something important in that truck. Though what really made him run toward the truck were people around him, who were just standing there taking pictures. 'I'm not like them!' he thought while he ran to the truck.

"Hey, is everything alright?" No answer. Lelouch saw a metal stairs leading to the top of the truck. He climbed them and called again, but suddenly the truck started moving again. 'Oh crap' were Lelouch's last thoughts before he lost his balance, rolled over the roof and fell through a ceiling opening. He somehow managed to roll over his shoulder (really happened, check episode 1) and came to his feet. He looked around and noticed some genius had forgot to add a ladder on the inside, but had instead built some kind of metal flask. Suddenly he heard a demanding voice shouting something about surrender and court, but what got Lelouch worried were the words 'shoot to kill', followed by the unmistakable sound of gunfire. "Great," he muttered "if I jump of, I have the choice of breaking my neck or getting shot. Maybe I should..." but his thoughts were interrupted when a door opened. He barely managed to hide behind the flask before a strangely familiar looking girl entered the backspace, slipped out of her coat and went to the back storage, which had been blocked by a door and now opened and then closed behind her. Lelouch noticed there was a communicator in the coat pocket. Lelouch took it, just in case. Now all he could do was wait for a chance to escape while a couple of explosions could be heard outside.

-0-

Bartley Aspirius was more than stressed. His hard work's most important part, the contents of the flask, had been stolen, not even two weeks after he obtained it. They had enough information from the time they possessed it, but it would work much faster with it. And now Earl Loyd Asplund was staring in his face from a distance of maybe three inches. "What are you doing?"

"Looking at a man who blundered, Am I right?" Bartley ground his teeth. How dare that man insult him. But what the man said after that left him speechless. He was precisely describing what had happened, his only mistake was that he considered Prince Clovis a part of the plot. The prince knew about parts of the project, but that was all. Loyd turned to his assistant, Cecile. "Congratulations, you're theory was spot-on." Bartley stared. That girl had figured all that out? Cecile blushed.

"I just thought it was strange, that's all. But, what exactly have the terrorists stolen?"

Bartley ground his teeth again. "Chemical weapons. In other words, poison gas."

-0-

After a bumpy ride, the truck finally stopped. Lelouch tried to climb the flask to reach the exit, not aware that the side of the truck behind him had opened. He only noticed a blur from the corner of his eye, and instinctively raised his arms to block. He was hit by a spinning kick and fell to the floor. Within a moment, the soldier, as Lelouch now recognized he was a military suit, was on him.

"That's enough mindless murder!" the soldier shouted while grabbing him by the throat.

"Wait, I'm not one of..." Lelouch started, but the soldier interrupted him.

"Trying to use poison gas? You should..." Enough was enough.

"Get off me!" Lelouch shouted while trying to kick the man, but he jumped backwards. " And if that's poison gas it was made in Britannia, wasn't it?" Lelouch asked. The man seemed shocked.

"My god!"

"Mindless murder? Then why don't you just destroy Britannia?" Lelouch was about to say more, but then the soldier took off his helmet and said his name.

"Lelouch, it's me Suzaku." Lelouch was shocked.

"Suzaku, you've joined the military?" Suzaku smiled, then his face darkened.

"Yeah, but what about you? You've joined a..." That was it!

"What are you saying?" Lelouch shouted. He wanted to say a few more things, but suddenly the flask opened. Suzaku threw Lelouch to the floor, shoving a gas mask in his face. But there was no gas. Instead, a young boy with long blond hair fell out off the flask. Lelouch ran to the boy and saw he was in heavy restraints. He turned to his best friend.

"Suzaku, tell me the truth. Poison gas, this boy?" Did Britannia stoop as low as kidnapping little kids?

Suzaku raised his hands in defense "It's what they told us at the briefing."

Meanwhile, the boy opened his reddish purple eyes and looked straight into a pair of amethyst eyes.

'It can't be.' he thought, still drowsy and unable to see clearly. 'Marianne?'

* * *

And that's the first chapter. I apologize that it' a retelling of the anime at some points, I just didn't get a better idea for the start of this story. The next chapters will vary more from the anime, though as a beginner at writing, I will use the original story as a basis, especially in the beginning. Tell me what you think about this chapter and the idea for the story in general.

Please Review


	2. A Demon awakens

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass. I wish I did, but I don't.

* * *

The boy blinked and the picture became clearer. The eyes belonged to a boy, not that ghost from his past. They didn't even have the right color, but something in that expression had reminded him of the face she had hidden from the world. He immediately realized who was holding him. 'Lelouch vi Britannia. It looks like you didn't die after all.' He mentally stated.

Lelouch was holding the boy and looking at Suzaku for an explanation. "Suzaku, tell me the truth. Poison gas? Look at this boy, he's hardly ten! Has Britannia finally gone so low as to join the kidnapping business?" Suzaku raised his hands in defense.

"It's what they told us in the briefing, I swear." But the talk was cut short when the tunnel was flooded in light and a group of armed men came into view. Their uniforms made it clear they were part of the royal guard. Lelouch knew they were in deep shit.

"Stinking monkey. Being an honorary Britannian will not excuse you!" A man with a scar on his face, obviously the leader, shouted at Suzaku. Suzaku ran up to the man.

"But sir, I was told this was poison gas." That was not the smartest thing to say. The leaders eyes narrowed.

"How dare you question orders?" Lelouch immediately realized that the higher-ups of the military would not let this go public and most likely silence everyone one way or another to save their skin. But scarface wasn't done yet. He grabbed his gun and held it to Suzaku. "However, in light of your outstanding military performance I'm going to be lenient. Private Kururugi, take this and execute the terrorist!" Suzaku stared at the gun, then at Lelouch.

"But he's not a terrorist! He's a civilian who got caught up in all this." 'Suzaku, you idiot!' Lelouch thought 'Do you think he cares? I'm a witness and they don't want witnesses!' Scarface thoughts seemed to go in a similar direction.

"You insubordinate little... Didn't you swear your life to Britannia?" Suzaku flinched.

"Well, yes, but..." Then he smiled at Lelouch "But I won't do it, sir. I wont shoot a civilian. I'm sorry, but I can't follow your orders." Lelouch was touched. What Suzaku had just done was brave... and incredibly stupid.

"Very well then." With that, the leader shot Suzaku in the back. Suzaku dropped like a stone, without a single sound. Then, scarface turned to Lelouch. "Well schoolboy, not a good day to cut class." His tone became louder as he ordered his men "Collect the boy. Once you've secured him, kill the student." Lelouch's eyes widened. Was this it? Then the driver cabin of the truck behind them exploded. Lelouch took this as a sign from god and ran into a tunnel, grabbing the blond boy by the arm as his feet were not tied up.

-0-

"They got away? And you call yourselves the royal guard?" Clovis was stuck between amusement about Bartley's desperation and absolute panic. The Leader of the royal guards excuses did not reassure him either. He leaned his head in his hands.

"Now what?" He had asked nobody in particular, but Bartley apparently felt that it was his duty as Clovis's primary adviser to reply.

"Since it's come to this, I believe it's best if we simply destroy the entire ghetto. We can tell the homeland that we're carrying out urban renewals." Clovis looked at his other two advisers, hoping for a better idea, but the two elder men simply nodded in agreement. He shouldn't have expected anything else from the leader of the purist-faction and his second in command. The murmurs in the mobile command-center told Clovis he was the only one who found this appalling. He buried his head deeper in his hands.

"Do as you see fit." He then said, filled with incredible self-disgust. A lone tear rolled down his cheek and vanished in his glove unseen.

Bartley wasted no time and barked into the open channel. "Soldiers, you are hereby ordered in the name of Clovis la Britannia, third prince of the empire, to destroy Shinjuku ghetto. Leave no one alive!" At that last part, Clovis felt sick to the core.

He pictured how his deceased siblings would have reacted to this order and a single thought crossed his mind. 'Lelouch, Nunnally, I hope you can forgive me.'

-0-

Once that order had echoed away, Sutherlands started to pour out of their transporters like water from a broken bottle and started to waltz through buildings and fire at everything that moved and was not carrying an ID-signal, while Bartley and the other advisers gave bloodthirsty speeches about the worthlessness of the inhabitants of the ghetto and Elevens in general. Cries of fear and pain could be heard everywhere, most of them ending abruptly. Amongst the Sutherland-pilots was Jeremiah Gottwald, who stubbornly ignored all calls for him to return for something. He didn't even listen to what they wanted.

"I haven't had this much fun on the front lines in ages!" Was his only reasoning, even though he himself knew best that wasn't true. This was merely a way of distracting himself from his guilt. But it was better than turning to alcohol or Refrain.

-0-

Lelouch leaned on the wall and went through the past ten minutes again. It was ridiculous that an hour ago, his biggest worry had been that Shirley would chew him out for his gambling again and now he was fearing for his life. He looked at the blond boy, who had tripped.

"What the hell are you? This chaos is all your fault, isn't it? Worst of all, Britannia has... even killed Suzaku!" The boy struggled against the restraints that kept his arms bound and his mouth silenced. Lelouch could have helped him, but the boy seemed to know what he was doing and would most likely free himself in a few minutes. Right now, Lelouch had bigger worries, like what was going on. He could hear the screams, explosions and gunfire all the way down here. Lelouch knew what was happening, but he couldn't understand how it had come to this. His brother Clovis had never been one for violence, he was a pacifist if there had ever been one. Did those seven years change him that much? Lelouch knew best how fast people changed and seven years were a long time, but this was something he never thought his brother was capable of. But now it was time to move, before one of those armed idiots found a map that showed the exit of this tunnel or developed enough brains to send people into the tunnel after them. There had been at least fifteen people with automatic guns and only three tunnels where two unarmed boys could have run into. He was thankful for the steadily increasing stupidity in the military.

-0-

"Not there?" Lloyd sounded upset, but Cecile nodded.

"Apparently, he's gone to the front lines." Lloyd sighed while he looked at the small transporter behind him.

"Even though we brought the Lancelot here?" Lloyd had been itching to see his latest creation in action ever since it had been finished, and had seen this as the chance.

"Now what do we do?" Cecile had not been looking forward to this as much as Lloyd, but she couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed.

"We steamrolled our way in here but we don't have a devicer to use it." Lloyd stated, holding the activation key up so that it reflected the sunlight. "I wish a suitable devicer would appear before us." Cecile stared at him.

"What do you expect, a choir of angels coming down and delivering him to us on a platter?" At that moment, two soldiers came out from a close-by tunnel, carrying a third on a stretcher. Cecile's eyes widened. "No way." Lloyd grinned.

"Well, good enough, I'll take it."

-0-

Lelouch silently swore. He was laying on the staircase leading up and was forced to watch the royal guards shoot down a group of civilians who had used this warehouse as a hiding place. Why did he get all the rotten luck? Couldn't something good happen, just for a change? It seemed his wish was granted as the royal guard was getting ready to leave, but then his cellphone rang. He knew only one person who would call him at a time like this: Shirley. Nobody else had such miserable timing. He silenced his phone but it was too late.

Back in Ashford academy, Shirley Fenette stared at her cellphone in disbelief.

"That jerky hung up on me!" She would kill him when she'd get her hands on him.

They dragged Lelouch to a wall and he suddenly knew how a prisoner felt when facing the firing squad. One last brutal shove knocked him off his feet and he slammed into the wall. He stayed seated. There was no way out of this. But this couldn't just end here, who would take care of his sister if he died here? Scarface obviously didn't care.

"Men, take aim." Lelouch was certain this was his end, when a voice made them all turn.

"So, your the royal guard?" The boy had managed to get the gag off his mouth and looked at the soldiers. Scarface seemed annoyed.

"Yes, we are brat, now be quiet!" The boy tilted his head.

"If you're the royal guard, why are you trying to shoot a prince of Britannia?" Everyone froze, including Lelouch. How did this boy know who he was? But the boy wasn't done yet. "May I introduce you gentlemen to Lelouch vi Britannia, eleventh prince of the empire and seventeenth in line to the throne. Son of the late consort Marianne 'The Flash' vi Britannia, former Knight of One."

One could feel the tension rising. While Lelouch was simply staring at the boy, the only word he managed to say was "How...?" Scarface was loosing control of the situation, and he couldn't take that. His gun was still aimed at the sitting Lelouch and he simply pulled the trigger. Before anyone knew what happened, the blond boy had jumped in the path of the bullet and took it right between the eyes. The boy collapsed. Lelouch was beside the boy in an instant.

"You shot him!" Scarface seemed momentarily confused, then he straightened up.

"Our orders were to take him back alive if possible. Oh well, nothing can be done about it now. We'll just tell our superiors that we found the terrorists and killed them all. Regrettably the target had already been tortured to death. And even if you are a prince, I'm afraid I can't let you mess up this little scenario. So how about we add that the terrorists also had a hostage we couldn't rescue in time. If you truly are a prince, we just might get a reward for finally locating your body. So, regrettably my clever young friend, you have no future."

Lelouch's hand was inches away from the boy's as he shook in silent rage. 'Is this it? Am I just going to die here? Before I had the chance to do I a single thing with my life? It's gone in a heartbeat.' Then the boy's hand grabbed his and Lelouch found himself in a weird, colorful realm.

"Impossible!" He muttered when he heard the boy's voice.

"You don't want to die here, do you? If you want to live, I could give you a power like no other. A power with which you might grant some of your dearest wishes." It sounded like a good offer and the situation was desperate, but Lelouch was cautious.

"And what do you want in return for this power?" He heard the boy chuckle.

"You don't make rash moves before you know you're options, huh? Well, I like that. As for the price, how about you grant one of my wishes when the time comes?" Lelouch didn't trust this boy, especially since he couldn't even see him.

"What wish do you want granted?" The answer was silence, then.

"I'm like you, I like to have a bit of control, so I really haven't decided yet." Lelouch had to grin. This boy was a schemer, just like him. It was always good to have a few trumps. Lelouch would have to be careful.

"Very well, I hereby accept the terms of your contract!" Lelouch shouted and he felt everything change as he saw giant gears connect and strange visions as he returned to the real world, he felt that he had a new power in his eye. He stood up and scarface seemed surprised. Lelouch spoke, incredibly calm for a man in his situation.

"Tell me, how should a Britannian who detests his own country live his life?" Scarface flinched.

"Are you some kind of radical?" But then he got a weird feeling. Something was not right. He took a step backwards. Lelouch grinned.

"What's wrong? Why not shoot? You're opponent is just an unarmed boy. Or have you finally realized that the only ones who should kill are those who are prepared to be killed?"

Scarface had completely lost his cool. "What's happening here?"

Lelouch felt something in his eye when he looked at the soldiers. "I, Lelouch vi Britannia command you, all of you, die!" The men froze for a second, then they started to grin, red rings had formed around their irises. Scarface chuckled.

"Happily your highness." Everyone raised their guns to their throats, then Scarface shouted "Fire!" and they all pulled the trigger.

For the first time in years, Lelouch felt truly alive. This power would allow him to finally get revenge for his mother and sister. He turned to the body of the boy who had made it possible, intending to bring him to a better final resting place... and his eyes widened. The boy was standing up, rubbing his forehead. He grinned.

"The power to make anyone follow your order, whatever it may be. Truly, this is worthy of being called the power of the king. Though I wonder what limitations your power may have." Then he noticed Lelouch was staring at him. "That's impolite, you know that, right?"

Lelouch regained his ability of speech. "But, you were shot!" The boy shrugged.

"I'm immortal." When he saw Lelouch's stare, he sighed. "Well, immortal may not be the best explanation, so let me specify. I can be killed, but I will always revive. I do not age. I have the power to give people this power you've received, though I have no control over what power they will receive. My injuries heal within seconds, though especially severe ones can take up to twenty minutes to heal."

Lelouch seemed stuck between shock and amusement. "You were shot in the head, just what do you count as severe?" The boy smiled.

"I mean a great amount of physical damage, like falling from a cliff or getting caught in an explosion. Though I may add that my recovery speed is the fastest among the immortals." Lelouch raised a brow.

"There are other immortals with identical abilities?" The boy nodded.

"Yes." Lelouch sighed.

"Okay, let's discuss this later. Just one more question. What is your name and why do you know who I am?" The boy smiled.

"You may call me V.V." Lelouch understood that he wouldn't get anything more out of the boy right now. Then they heard the sound of a Knightmare closing in fast. V.V.'s forehead was still covered in blood, so he simply dropped to the floor and played dead. While Lelouch was still uncertain what to do, the Knightmare entered the hangar.

Villetta Nu didn't believe her eyes. The entire royal guard was laying on the ground before her, obviously dead. The only one standing was a teenager in a school uniform. "You there, what happened? Why are all these royal guards dead?" the boy didn't reply, so Villetta fired a few warning shots around the boy that punched holes in the wall behind him. "Well?" The boy looked at her without a trace of fear.

"I order you to come out!" he called, in a tone that didn't expect defiance. Villetta was surprised.

"What? Just who do you think you are to order me around?"

Lelouch immediately understood that his Geass, he had heard that word when he entered the contract, only worked with direct eye contact, so he decided to change strategies. He raised his hands and loudly stated

"My name is Alan Spacer, my father's a duke. My ID-card is in my pocket. After you confirm who I am, I would like to request your protection."

In the Sutherland, Villetta blinked. "Nobility?" It would explain why the boy had had such an attitude, he was probably used to everyone following his whims. Still, if the boy really was a nobleman's child, she might get a promotion if she saved him. She drew her gun and left the cockpit. She looked at the boy, who was smiling in triumph. "Don't move, I'll take out your ID."

Lelouch grinned and activated his Geass. "Now, hand over your Knightmare." His grin widened as the woman gave him the activation key and gave him the password. V.V. stood up and followed Lelouch into the machine. Because of his body, he had no problem squeezing himself behind the pilot seat.

When Villetta Nu awoke, she was in a warehouse, her Sutherland nowhere in sight.

-0-

"You have a Sutherland, now what will you do?" V.V. asked. Lelouch smiled.

"I have the location of all enemy forces and this." He held up the communicator he took out of the coat-pocket of the terrorist girl. "This allows me to speak with the terrorists." V.V. raised a brow.

"So you'll use the terrorists for a counterattack?" Lelouch nodded. "That might work, unless they call in reinforcements." He was right. Lelouch pulled out his cellphone and called Shirley. She got him into trouble, now she should give some help to get him out of it.

-0-

Shirley didn't believe what she was seeing. Lelouch called her! She answered. "Lulu, what is? Why aren't you here? Are you out gambling again?"

Lelouch looked at the monitor in front of him and saw a bloodstained chessboard with a few figures. Ironically, the only figure standing was the black king, standing proud as the sole survivor of a brutal battle. Lelouch grinned. "Yep, you've caught me. By the way, are you near a TV right now? Could you tell me if they're bringing anything about Shinjuku?"

Shirley checked. "Nothing. Wait, traffic restrictions?"

"Why is it restricted?" Shirley was quiet for a moment, then she answered.

"I don't know, they don't say." Lelouch grinned. Just as expected. They would wait until all was done, then they would publish news that favored the military.

"Thanks, you've been a big help." He said, a tinge of irony in his voice as he thought of her first call. Shirley didn't notice it and started to say something, but Lelouch hung up and turned to V.V..

"It'll be hard for them to call reinforcements in this situation, so they'll have to make due with the pieces they have on the board."

V.V. seemed interested. "Very well, I can't wait to see how you'll manage this."

* * *

And chapter 2 is done. So next chapter is the end of Shinjuku. I have a few changes planned, otherwise I wouldn't have gotten V.V. to lift a finger to save Marianne's child. Also, I gave V.V. a quicker regeneration because when Cornelia killed him, he stood up after like 5 seconds with that blade still halfway through his skull. But how do you like this story, personally, I find it difficult to keep everyone in character (except for Clovis, but that's intended), so please tell me how I'm doing. I apologize for any grammar mistakes, English is not my native language and I'm working on improving my grammar.

To 2stupid: Thanks for telling me, I had completely forgotten. I hope I've fixed my mistake with this.

Thank you for reading and

Please Review


	3. Shinjuku

Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I'm German, not Japanese, so I can't own Code Geass. I'd take it given half a chance, but we all know that will never happen.

* * *

Lelouch drove the Sutherland into an abandoned building where he silently listened to the communications of the Britannian soldiers. He learned that another train filled with Sutherlands would arrive soon. He snorted.

"Now that is just excessive use of force. But maybe I can use this to my advantage." He grabbed the communicator and found a note with their frequencies glued to the back of it. With _all_ their frequencies. What kind of amateurs did that? What if the military had found this? Lelouch was getting worried if it was wise to leave his fate in the hands of people who made such obvious mistakes. Then he saw a one-armed Glasgow being chased by two Sutherlands. The pilot proved to be incredibly skilled in his escape, though it was clear he wouldn't make it without help. V.V. spotted him as well.

"Well, whoever is piloting that thing is certainly much better than you. Your mother would turn in her grave if she saw how you drive this Knightmare." He was referring to a little accident that occurred on the way to their observation point and had left a major dent in the left arm.

"This is the first time I've been in a pilot seat of this type of Knightmare, so give me a break. The Ganymede's controls were completely different. Nobody starts perfect." Then he noticed the train with the Sutherlands coming towards them. He looked at the note. He figured KMF meant it was the frequency of the Glasgow, Lelouch somehow doubted they had more than one Knightmare. He put in the frequency that was written and made contact. "The west entrance." There was a surprised sound on the other side. "Use the west entrance and get on the tracks."

"Who is this? How did you get this frequency?" A girl's voice. Probably the one he had seen in the truck. Lelouch was getting annoyed, even though it was only natural to distrust a strangers voice.

"That doesn't matter. If you want to win, you're gonna have to trust me." There was a short silence, then two words rang through the speaker, filled with both hope and doubt.

"To win?" Lelouch could see the Glasgow turn and jump on the tracks. Fortunately, it headed towards the train. He tuned on a different frequency and told the other rebels to get their asses to their location, though he used more polite words to phrase it. He turned the frequency back to the Glasgow's and was able to hear the girl's voice. Where did he know her from? "Okay, I'm on, now what?" Lelouch smiled.

"Since you've trusted me, you're gonna win. Jump on the train!" The Glasgow jumped and one of the Sutherlands grabbed the train and slowed it down to the point of stopping. Perfect. The other one tried to jump on the train, but Lelouch shot it down with his Slash-Harkens. V.V. whistled.

"Your aim is a lot better than your driving skills."

"Can it, will you." Lelouch grunted. He could hear another faintly familiar voice voice from the radio, demanding identification. Why did it seem like he either somehow knew everyone he met today or they knew him? Lelouch aimed the machine gun at the Sutherland and fired. He managed to hit the Landspinners and it went to its knees. It raised its own gun towards him, but the Glasgow dashed at it and the pilot ejected. Lelouch took the chance to relocate. When the girl thanked him, he was long gone. The other terrorists arrived. He could see them, but they couldn't see him. He tried a different frequency.

"Are you the leader?" He asked. He could see a man with brown hair now spoke in his communicator.

"Yes, I am." At least from afar, the man didn't look too competent, but not like an idiot either. He probably wouldn't be a burden, and who knew, he just might be useful. Lelouch had learned to never completely trust a first impression.

"Well then, I present to you the cargo in that train. They're tools for your victory." Now it was time to use the short break to plan the next move.

-0-

Kallen stared wide eyed at the contents of the train. It was filled with Sutherlands! Just who was that voice that it could give such presents? Then his voice filled her cockpit.

"Woman in the Glasgow." She was pulled out of her thoughts and hastily replied.

"Yes?" She looked at the others, who were still staring at the machines in awe.

"Stay were you are, you're unit is gonna run decoy." Ohgi still had Kallen's frequency tuned in his communicator, so he heard what the man had said.

"Can't you tell us who you are? At least your name...?" The reply came instantly and without a moments hesitation.

"I can't do that, what if these signals are being intercepted?" He did have a point and if they really were traced, they could get trouble. They had called each other by their names, so even if they got out of here, the military could locate them. Ohgi tried to calm himself with the thought that Britannia most likely didn't see a need to spy on them, since they didn't expect a challenge here anyway. The man said something, but this was obviously directed at Kallen. "How much operation time is left in your battery?"

Kallen checked. "About fifteen minutes worth left."

"Then change it." While she did, the mysterious voice started to give them all code names. She was Q1. It was safer than just using their real names and everyone memorized theirs, though Tamaki made another fuss.

Eventually, Kallen couldn't take it any more. "Would you shut up, Tamaki? It's your fault we're here in the first place!" Apparently, Tamaki had no reply for this harsh truth and Kallen drove the ordered route, a smile of satisfaction on her face.

Lelouch raised a brow. This guy had caused the mess they were in? V.V. seemed to have similar thoughts. "I know his type. They're all talk with nothing to back it up. I'm willing to bet he will be one of the first to go down."

Lelouch nodded. "I agree, but now let's test out if the others can make up for him."

Then they heard the bigmouth speak. "Are you sure about this, what if this is a trap?"

V.V. looked at Lelouch. "Now that's just insulting."

Lelouch couldn't help but agree and was about to send a reply, when he heard someone else speak. It was the brown haired man.

"The other side has total advantage, they don't need to set a trap." Lelouch smiled. This man might be more competent than he originally figured. Also, unlike many other people Lelouch knew, he seemed to have no problem to pass on leadership. Now he would see if the man could take orders as well.

"If Q1 is on schedule, enemy troops should arrive in forty-three seconds. Shoot them through the wall."

"What?" The idiot with the short red hair shouted "No way that'll work!"

Ohgi was getting tired of Tamaki's complaining and interrupted him. "Everyone, double-check your weapons."

"This is crazy!" Tamaki shouted, but he obeyed. Ohgi counted the seconds.

"Three, two, one, fire!" And they shot the three Sutherlands behind the wall, and even though the pilots ejected, this was a good start and proved the voice on the radio was more than capable.

-0-

Clovis felt utterly disgusted. The screams could be clearly heard all the way to the Command center, and while Bartley and his advisers seemed to see it as a wonderful melody, to Clovis every scream felt like another tragedy he could have prevented, a desperate accusation that he could not deny. He remembered Lelouch had once asked him a question._"Who do you think is more guilty? The ones who do something or the ones who let it happen?"_ To this day, Clovis had found no answer to that question, but he now realized that both were carrying a great burden of guilt, or at least they should be. When he looked at his advisers, he felt like they were defiling his siblings memory and the very dignity of humanity with their sadistic glee. Then something interrupted his misery and Bartley's joy. Three Sutherlands vanished from the screen, destroyed while following that single Glasgow that was still resisting the army. And suddenly the entire tide of the battle turned. More and more of their units were wiped out. Clovis silently wished them luck and smiled at his advisers distressed faces. He decided to put more pressure on Bartley, hoping it would lead the man to make more errors that would eventually allow Clovis to call off this massacre.

"This failure is unacceptable!" He shouted and all advisers winced.

"F-Forgive me." Bartley stammered. He turned to the plans and ordered reinforcements from the encirclement and close the gaps with the units guarding the base. Clovis grinned. There was the first mistake.

-0-

Jeremiah Gottwald was in a bad mood. Those terrorists had fooled him and now he was forced to walk back to Headquarters. He noticed a group of Sutherlands leaving the encirclement to charge into the town.

"Who ordered them to break formation?" He wondered. Something must have gone terribly wrong.

-0-

Everything was going wonderfully right. They were annihilating the enemy's forces with no losses so far. But now it was time to wait for a reaction.

"Now, the enemy has twelve options. Their move."

"You're treating this like a game of chess?" V.V. wondered. Lelouch nodded.

"It is, after all, the game of kings. It was also designed to simulate war." V.V. nodded.

"That's true, but real combat has a few things chess does not. You'll find out what I mean in time."

Lelouch raised a brow. True, things tended to get out of control on a battlefield, but what could go wrong here? As long as he was careful, there shouldn't be any problems.

-0-

Clovis saw that the one dot symbolizing the enemy unit had moved to the center of the map. Bartley and the others saw this as the perfect chance to surround and obliterate the enemy, but Clovis had the feeling something was wrong.

He suddenly remembered the day he and Cornelia had played a game of chess against Lelouch at the same time. His brother had gotten two chess boards and played against them with Nunnally and Euphemia watching. Both he and Cornelia had managed to force Lelouch's king into the middle of the board, from where they thought they could easily trap it, but then Lelouch had turned everything around. He checkmated Clovis by using a path to his king the boy had opened in an attempt to trap Lelouch. Cornelia had been careful not to open such a path, but Lelouch had started a counter-offensive that had left her with only her king and two pawns. Lelouch explained that he had lured her into a trap because she paid too much attention to the king and not enough to the other figures.

Clovis didn't know which strategy would be used, but he was completely certain it was a trap.

'Let's see if I'm right.' he thought to himself.

-0-

"Well this is a more stupid move than I've expected." Lelouch muttered.

V.V. agreed. "Only an idiot would use all his forces to charge into a situation where he doesn't know what could await him. Well, looks like this is the second time the military's idiocy has helped us."

Lelouch smiled. So the boy had noticed the royal guards blunder as well. No, V.V. had said he didn't age, so he was most likely much older than he looked. Then Lelouch gave the terrorists the signal and they collapsed the tunnels, destroying most of Britannia's units. Lelouch laughed out loud.

-0-

When Suzaku woke up, there were white haired man and a young woman beside him.

"Too bad." The man called. Suzaku wondered why the man shouted. He was injured, not deaf. "Looks like you missed a chance to go to heaven, private Kururugi." Suzaku didn't think that was funny. Then he saw his watch. The glass was cracked. The man noticed Suzaku's glances and held up the watch. "You're lucky this was under your protective suit, because that's what deflected the bullet." The woman smiled at Suzaku.

"Is it a keepsake?" Suzaku nodded and grabbed it.

"Yes, a very important one." He looked at the pocket watch. This was a reminder of what he had done. Then the man started to talk again.

"You Elevens believe that gods live inside of everything, even objects, right?" Then the woman beside him interrupted him in an unnervingly cheerful tone.

"Oh Lloyd, what did we discuss?" The man seemed a bit nervous and changed the topic.

"Anyway, enough of that. Say, if you had the chance to pilot a one-of a-kind Knightmare, what would you do?" Suzaku didn't believe his ears.

"But there's no way an Eleven would be allowed to..." The man interrupted him.

"Yes yes," He said in a I-don't-give-a-shit kind of tone "but supposing you could?" Suzaku nodded. "Wonderful!" the man shouted. The woman smiled at him.

"I don't think we've introduced ourselves yet, I'm Cecile, and this big child here is Lloyd."

"Yes yes, nice to meet you." Lloyd stated "Can we now get him to the Lancelot?" Cecile seemed a bit annoyed.

"Lloyd, maybe we should have another talk about how we act towards others?" Loyd's face fell. He turned towards Suzaku.

"It's nice to meet you, my name is Lloyd Asplund and I develop Knightmare Frames, like the one we've chosen you to pilot. Come with me, I'll show you." He looked at Cecile, who nodded in approval, and sighed in relief.

They walked to the transporter and even though it was still hooded, the wind gave Suzaku a few peaks at the new Knightmare he was about to pilot. He stared in awe, which caused Lloyd to grin.

"Impressive, right? Once you've entered this, your world will change forever."

"Whether you want it to or not." Cecile added. Lloyd clapped his hands.

"Now all that's left to do is get the permission to use it." A loud noise was coming from Shinjuku and the ground shook slightly. Lloyd grinned. "Something tells me we won't have any problems to get that permit." he cheered and seemed like a little kid wanting to try out the newest toy.

-0-

Clovis had been right. It had been a brilliant trap and his advisers fell for it hook, line and sinker. Their military force was practically non-existent. Bartley left, muttering some excuse about having to look after one of his projects. Like Clovis didn't know his little project was the reason they were here in the first place. But as long as he was gone, Clovis wasn't complaining. After he had left, a monitor came to life and Lloyd requested the usage of his newest toy. Clovis was worried. The man was goofy and slightly insane in Clovis opinion, but he created first-rate products. If this new unit was released, it might turn the tide of the battle again. But he couldn't reject this offer now without sounding suspicious. Also, whoever was organizing this just might be better than Kyoshiro Tohdoh, so if he was as smart as Clovis believed, he would swiftly retreat and Britannia's army was depleted enough for him to order a withdrawal. But he'd have to wait a few minutes.

"Very well, send your toy out." Clovis called. Lloyd sighed.

"Your highness, please be so kind to call it Lancelot."

-0-

Lelouch was smiling. Everything was going great, until two of his units reported something about a white Knightmare and went static. Five other units went static afterwards. V.V. froze.

'A white Knightmare? It can't be! Lloyd Asplund got his toy running _and_ someone with the skill to pilot it? Have I really been cut off from the information network for only ten days, or maybe it's been ten weeks already? But if this really is the Lancelot...' He turned to Lelouch.

"We have to get out of here, they've sent seventh generation against us. That thing can run laps around Sutherlands and if the pilot is as skilled as I think, he'll wipe us out if we don't retreat!"

Lelouch looked at him. Then he nodded. "Alright, but you'll tell me how you know all this later. This should be enough to fulfill my goal." This caught V.V.'s attention. The entire battle had been a distraction? Lelouch was speaking into the communicator. "They've sent a white Knightmare after us that is unusually powerful. I'd advise you not to challenge it directly. _Shit!_" That last part was referring to the white and golden Knightmare that had appeared over his head and started to attack. Lelouch thought he was finished, when the one-armed Glasgow appeared and distracted the white monster long enough for them to gain some distance.

"Now we're even!" The girl called before she ejected to safety. The Knightmare followed them so Lelouch tried to shoot it. The white machine dodged, but suddenly spun around and caught a falling mother with her child. Lelouch and V.V. were surprised. This guy obviously hadn't noticed that his mission was to kill everyone.

"In the midst of battle he rescues someone? Very well, I'll concede you the tactical victory here." Lelouch muttered as he turned the Knightmare around and ejected. Lelouch now understood what V.V. had meant. With chess, you had rules and could calculate all moves. In real life, unpredictable things happened and the rules were broken. He would have to remember that the most vital element in combat was the human one. But now it was time to have a chat with his brother.

-0-

Clovis had thrown his two remaining advisers out to have some private time. His true plan was to call off the bloodbath, but it was only after he had thrown them out he realized his plan had a weakness: He didn't know how to operate the communications. He banged his fist against the console in frustration. Now his only hope was that someone who knew how to work this thing came in, allowed him to call this off, and not try to kill him if possible. But while he returned to his seat, he he couldn't help thinking about that unknown strategist. Those tactics had been so familiar, but it was impossible. The dead stayed dead. Suddenly, two gunshots echoed from behind the door. Then it opened and and a man in a soldier's uniform entered, accompanied by a young boy with unusually long, blond hair. Behind them Clovis could see the bodies of his advisers with holes in their foreheads. They didn't even had the chance to run away. The lights were dimmed, so Clovis couldn't see any faces.

"Were you the one who led the rebels?" He asked. The man nodded. "I assume you want me to call off this bloodbath?" Lelouch was surprised when he heard disgust in his brother's voice. He nodded again.

"It would be a start." Clovis smiled. But that man's voice sounded so familiar. Well, not really the voice, but rather something in it. Lelouch had always sounded like that when he checkmated Clovis or won a bet. If he hadn't known better, he would have sworn... He shook his head to get it clear and pointed at the console.

"I had the same idea already, but then I've noticed I don't know how to work the stupid thing." The boy walked to the console and pressed a few buttons. He nodded at Clovis, who straitened up.

"To all Britannian soldiers, cease fire at once! I, Clovis, third prince of the empire, command you! All survivors are to be treated equally and without prejudges. I repeat Cease fire at once, I shall allow no further fighting!" The boy pressed another button.

"That was an impressive speech, your highness." The kid mocked. Clovis looked at him.

"Should I call a babysitter for you while the adults talk?" The boy ground his teeth, but remained silent. Clovis turned to the man. "And what do we do now? Perhaps a nice game of chess? You seem like the type of person that's good at it." The man chuckled.

"That has a familiar ring to it. The two of us used to play chess together as boys at the Aries Villa, don't you remember? Of course, I'd always win." Clovis could only think of one person who matched that description, but that wasn't possible, was it?

"Who are you?" The man pulled of his helmet and stepped into the light. Clovis gasped.

"Son of the late consort Marianne, eleventh prince of the empire and seventeenth in line to the throne, Lelouch vi Britannia. I have returned, brother. And I've come to change everything."

* * *

Chapter 3 is done, or as Loyd would phrase it: We're done for today, don't do any more work, hip-hip-hooray! I'm interested in everyone's opinion, my most important questions being: How am I doing? What can I do better? Are my ideas any good? How did you like this chapter and my story in general? AND: What do you think will happen next?

By the way, I have decided on one of my infamous whims, that I will update new chapters only when I can add one for both my stories, so it might take a little longer to update. Although from what I have seen on this site, I update relatively fast.

To 2stupid: Thanks for the complement, a English dictionary is always open when I write, since I try to give my readers a good story that won't be dragged down by miserable grammar. Am I succeeding? I'll try to look at the Japanese version, they usually sound best anyway. You wouldn't believe what German dub has done to some really great animes.

Personally, I find Code Geass one of the most difficult stories to write fanfics about, there's so much scheming and planning. I have to change a few details that are giving me headaches, here an example: V.V. can't exactly double Lelouch, can he?

Anyway, I see reviews as great help as they show support. I am fine with criticism, as long as it isn't just insults. As a beginner, I actually expect that I'll screw up somewhere and hope that I will learn from those mistakes. So

Please Review


	4. The End and the Aftermath

Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own CG

* * *

Kallen and the others had heeded the advice the unknown voice had given them and retreated. When she had told the others who hadn't met that unit yet of its incredible skill, they had decided it was better to abandon their units. They drew too much attention and that new enemy had already smashed more than half of them anyway. They had met up in a warehouse where a few civilians had also taken shelter. They were in the middle of a discussion what to do now, when one of the few remaining units of Britannian soldiers stormed the warehouse. They had even brought a tank. Kallen knew they had no way of escaping. Then, just as the soldiers prepared to fire, Prince Clovis broadcasted an order to cease fighting. Kallen realized that the prince hadn't just decided this on a whim. Her guess was that the unknown voice had somehow reached Clovis and forced him to end it. Who was that voice?

-0-

Clovis jumped up from his throne, tears in his eyes.

"Lelouch, is it really you? I thought you died when Japan fell. I don't believe it! Are you alright? How have you been?" Lelouch was taken aback by Clovis joy and rain of questions. He had expected shock, and if Clovis was truly involved in his mother's murder, fear. But Clovis simply seemed overjoyed that Lelouch was alive. "How is Nunnally? Is she alright? Please tell me she has at least regained her sight." Lelouch's face twitched.

"How dare you bring up Nunnally after what you and the rest of the imperial family did to us?" Clovis smile froze.

"I see. You must hate us, Lelouch. I can't imagine what you've been through, but you have changed." Lelouch snorted.

"So have you, brother. I never would have expected you to cause such a massacre." Clovis stared at the ground, unable to look into his brother's eyes.

"Neither have I. You know me Lelouch, I hate violence. I'm an artist, not a commander. All I want is to paint and to be with my family, not this. I'm no leader, I cave in under pressure. It's ironic, not even an hour ago I wondered if you, who were watching from heaven, would ever forgive me for this, and now you have climbed out of the hell I failed to avert to deliver the answer. When I arrived in Area 11, there was so much I wanted to do. I wanted to make this country into the most beautiful of all, a memorial of happiness and prosperity for my siblings, so that they at least wouldn't have died in vain. I guess my first mistake was to select the heads of the purist faction as my advisers. And Bartley, who was supposed to help me oppose them, got obsessed with that weird project of his and turned to the side of nobility. Whenever I tried to start anything that could cause even the smallest amount of equality, they would protest like I've opted to torture them. I don't have your force of will, Lelouch, I couldn't stand up to them. And then Bartley managed to loose something associated with his human augmentation project, a test person or something, and when it became clear he couldn't retrieve it unnoticed, he had the idea of just starting this. You can imagine the purists loved the idea, in fact, everyone in this command center liked the idea and I just didn't find the strength to oppose all of them. I'm sorry Lelouch, you must be so disappointed in me. But enough about my problems, please tell me if Nunnally is all right."

Lelouch had listened to his brother's speech. He sounded sincere and bitter, and Lelouch could do him that favor before he would force answers out of his brother. "She's alive, but still blind and crippled."

Clovis looked sad. "At least she's still alive." Then he looked at Lelouch. "You're not going to tell our family you're alive, am I right?"

Lelouch nodded. "I won't let them use me or Nunnally as political tools ever again. But do you remember why we were used as tools in the first place?"

Clovis seemed confused, then he understood. He paled.

"Right, it was because my mother was murdered. As a commoner by birth, even though she held the title of Knight of Honor and had once been the Knight of One, she wasn't very popular amongst the other consorts. You claim it was the work of terrorists, but I'm no fool. You people killed my mother!"

"Lelouch, I had nothing to do with that, I swear! I respected Marianne!" Clovis seamed scared. 'But now that I think about it, Lelouch is right, I don't see how a terrorist could have gotten close enough to a royal consort to kill her, much less escape afterwards.' He thought.

"We shall see. The truth cannot be hidden from me any longer." Lelouch activated his Geass. "By whose hand was she slain?"

Clovis slumped together, then he opened his mouth. "My older siblings Schneizel and Cornelia, they can tell you."

Lelouch was surprised. "They were at the heart of this? And was that speech you just held the truth?" "I've told the truth in my speech. As for the other part, I don't know."

"Cornelia and Schneizel?" Lelouch muttered, not quite believing those two were the ones yet. The information just wasn't precise enough. Still, he would see if it was true.

V.V. had also looked at the prince in surprise. 'Schneizel and Cornelia? How did he get that idea? Cornelia had always believed that the sun only rose in the morning to greet Marianne. Schneizel is a more likely suspect, but what advantage would he have from killing Marianne, it doesn't make sense. Those two are amongst the least likely suspects for this.' Then something hit him.

"Lelouch, before you release Clovis from your Geass, what will you do with him now that you have all the answers he can supply?"

Lelouch seemed to think. "Originally, I had planned to kill him."

V.V.'s face darkened. "Don't."

Lelouch seemed surprised. "Why not? I mean, what do you care how I interact with the family that abandoned me and my helpless sister? Why do you care so much about what I do with him anyway?"

V.V. sighed. "He is your brother."

Lelouch grinned. "I am aware of that. And?"

V.V. seemed annoyed. "While I don't put too much trust in family, I believe that the sibling relationship is one of the most beautiful of all. Siblings should not kill each other."

Lelouch seemed humored. "What a wonderful philosophy you have. It would be nice if the rest of the world followed that rule."

V.V. bit his lip. "Must I offer you informations to keep you from killing your brother?"

Lelouch seemed amazed. "You intend to bribe me? All right, I'll accept it. As I said, I had originally planned to kill him, but I've changed my mind when I heard how Clovis fared those last few years. He's not so different from myself, we were both used as pawns against our wishes."

V.V. smiled. "So when you heard my protest, you've taken the opportunity to learn more about me, am I right?"

Lelouch chuckled. "Indeed, and I'm still looking forward to those informations, including the ones you already owe me about that white Knightmare. The only problem now is what to do with Clovis."

"Why don't I go and prepare our escape while you tell him to forget about me and not tell anyone about you?" V.V. suggested. It sounded like a good plan, but Lelouch had something to add.

"I'm afraid I'll have to shoot him. Not in a life-threatening spot, but if he comes out unscathed while the purist leaders are dead, the purist faction is going to tear him to shreds."

V.V. nodded. Lelouch was right. "Are you going to shoot him in the arm or the shoulder?"

Lelouch shook his head. "He's a painter and damage to those might not heal correctly. I'll shoot him in the leg, and now go."

-0-

When V.V. had left, Lelouch turned to Clovis, who was still under the Geass. "You will forget you ever saw the boy that was with me, you will not remember anything weird happening during our conversation and you will not tell anyone that I and Nunnally are still alive, nor will you give the information away in any other form."

Clovis nodded mechanically. "Understood." Lelouch released his brother. Clovis blinked, then he looked at Lelouch. "I swear, Lelouch, I don't know who killed your mother, but it wasn't me!"

Lelouch pretended to think. "Very well, I'll believe you. But what am I going to do with you? You know that we are still alive, so you could endanger Nunnally's peaceful life." While Lelouch knew Clovis would be unable to do so, he was interested in his brothers reaction.

Clovis didn't stutter or speak in a panicked tone, but calm and friendly. "Lelouch, I won't tell anyone about you or Nunnally. Despite what you may think, I care for my siblings, well most of them anyway, and I don't want Nunnally to be used as a tool either."

Lelouch smiled. He knew he could trust Clovis. He looked at his brother. "Thank you Clovis, I really appreciate it. But I can't just leave you now like nothing happened, with those two _advisers_" He put a disgusted tone into that word "laying dead in front of your door, bad rumors will go all over the place."

Clovis nodded. The press was a monster and rumors could destroy a person. If this rose suspicion, Clovis might be branded as a murderer. "I assume you have a plan?"

Lelouch nodded. "In fact I do, but I'm pretty sure you won't like it."

Clovis raised a brow. "I have complete trust in you."

Lelouch snorted. "I doubt that. My plan is simple: I will shoot you."

There was a moment of silence, then Clovis spoke. "I'm sorry Lelouch, I must have misheard you, could you say that again, please?"

Lelouch sighed. "I'm going to shoot you in the leg and make sure someone finds you soon. I won't hit any important blood vessels and when they find you, you're the perfect victim. It's not like you could hide a weapon with a wounded leg. You can even pretend to be in shock and avoid the press for a while."

Clovis made a face. Lelouch had always had a way of convincing people to do even the most unpleasant things because they simply couldn't beat his reasoning. Cornelia had once said Lelouch could probably reason the entire world into submission, and nobody had argued with that, not even Schneizel. And now he had just convinced Clovis to let himself be used as target practice. He sighed. "Let's just get it over with. Oh, and where do you live now?" Lelouch looked at him. "Oh don't worry, I'll find an excuse should I want to visit."

Now Lelouch sighed, while he took a handkerchief from one of the dead advisers and placed it on Clovis's leg. Then he put the gun on the handkerchief, in a position where the bullet would not hit any major blood vessels and shouldn't damage the muscles and tendons beyond repair. Clovis would probably completely recover in two to three weeks. Now he answered Clovis's question. "Ashford Academy."

Clovis should have known. The Ashfords had been close friends of Lady Marianne and when she had been assassinated, they fell hard and fast. For the vi Britannia siblings, it must have been the perfect hiding place. Clovis nodded at Lelouch, who pulled the trigger. Clovis fell to the floor, holding his leg in pain. Lelouch took the handkerchief which had caught the residue from the shot. He would destroy it later. "Goodbye Clovis, maybe we'll see each other again. And just an advice, the mantle of leadership wasn't made for your shoulders, perhaps you can use this to retire, or at least get a long vacation."

-0-

When he left the command center, he noticed V.V. had managed to get a small car with dark windows. These things had become fashion amongst the wealthier youths, so they were basically standing at every corner. Perfect, no one would pay any attention to them in this, not they'd even be able to clearly see them. Lelouch took the drivers seat. V.V. raised a brow. "I hope your skills in a car outweigh your skills in a Knightmare."

Lelouch glared at him. "Give it a rest. You're immortal, so why are you worried? And I'm driving because you can't use the pedals and look at the road at the same time. You really picked a lousy age to get stuck in."

V.V. ground his teeth. Worst of all, Lelouch was right. He shouldn't have let Charles talk him into taking the Code at such a young age, he had known even back then that it would lead to problems later on and he had been right. Even though he was good at self-defense, his body simply lacked the necessary strength to keep up with adults. Which was part of the reason he had been stuck in that capsule.

Lelouch had found a soldier and ordered him to forget they ever saw them and to believe that he had heard gunshots coming from the command center, so Clovis would be found in time. He drove to a street two-hundred feet from Ashford academy, then he ordered a young passer-by to drive it to the other side of the settlement and leave it an a ghetto with the keys still in it. With a little bit of luck, the car would never appear again, swallowed by the black market. In the glove compartment, Lelouch had found a pair of blue contact lenses. Maybe the owner of the car was only part Britannian and tried to hide his mixed blood, or he had simply intended to pull some kind of prank. Whatever the case, those lenses might be useful in the future. He decided to keep them. Then he smuggled V.V. into his living quarters and told him to hide. Afterwords he dropped into his bed and took a short nap. It had been a long day and he needed a bit of rest before he would question his contractor.

-0-

When Lelouch woke up, V.V. made good on his promises. He answered Lelouch's questions. Some of them, anyway. "You said you don't age, so I'm guessing you're much older than you look. How old are you?"

V.V. smiled. "Indeed, I am older than I look, though as far as immortals go, I am relatively young. Let me put it this way, I am older than your father, but younger than your grandfather."

Lelouch accepted that as an answer, since it narrowed it down to between fifty and hundred years. The next question was less personal. "What was that white Knightmare?"

V.V. nodded. "That was the Z-01 Lancelot, an experimental Seventh Generation Knightmare Frame designed and build by Earl Lloyd Asplund. A very eccentric man, but also very capable, although he has a habit of going overboard with his inventions. The Lancelot is a good example, it's far too high-spec for most people to effectively operate, whoever was piloting it has great skill and enormous talent. It can be equipped with Maser Vibration Swords which should theoretically be able to cut through almost anything, and the Variable Ammunition Repulsion Impact Spitfire, or VARIS for short, although as far as I know, neither is complete yet. But I was cut off from all information roughly two weeks ago, so that might have changed. Since it uses Sakuradite in the entire Frame, it has much better performance than other Knightmares."

Lelouch seemed amazed. "You know a lot about Knightmares."

V.V. smiled. "Indeed, being immortal is only one of my many abilities, and I had a lot of free time, so I know more than most of the professors in this world. Before I was imprisoned, I was in fact constructing my own personal unit, the Siegfried. Although I wouldn't classify it as a Knightmare Frame, but rather as a Knight Giga Fortress."

Lelouch was curious. "And how did you get the funding and the materials for such a project?" V.V. realized he had made a mistake, but the damage was done. There was no point in hiding the rest now, it would only make Lelouch suspicious.

"Before I was captured and imprisoned, I led an organization for your father." Lelouch's eyes widened and he jumped up. "Does this mean my father has Geass-users under his command? Does he have Geass himself?"

V.V. was weighing his options. 'Charles, you have betrayed me and broken our contract. I am no longer obligated to keep your secrets, though I will not tell your son everything, at least not before he is ready for it.' He made his decision. "Yes to both. Your father has a Geass that allows him to alter memories once eye-contact is established. And the organization is called the Geass Directorate, so I believe you can already guess that there are Geass-users there."

Lelouch was worried."How many and will they come after us?"

V.V. thought about it for a moment. "There are around fifty Geass-users in the Directorate. Will they come after us? Most likely not immediately. Out of those fifty, only a few are actually able of taking and fulfilling missions, most of them are still children. And even if I disappeared in Area 11, your father won't think I'll stay in a country with such limited resources, Japan's short on everything but Sakuradite. Also, even if he finds out that there is a Geass-user here, he'll most likely believe that I left him as a distraction or that it's a different immortal the user has contracted with."

Lelouch had calmed down. "And what would his name be? That other immortal, I mean."

V.V. grinned. "Her name. And its C.C. Unlike me, she has centuries of experience, so its not very likely she's caught. I would even say it's nearly impossible."

That reminded Lelouch of another good question. "If you worked for the emperor, why were you in that capsule?"

V.V.'s face darkened.

-0-

_Two weeks ago_

_V.V. had just returned from a visit at Pendragon. Even though he and Charles zi Britannia had not actually seen each other in years, Charles had been very busy ever since Marianne's assassination, there were times he called him for a few favors. This last one had seemed like a waste of time, what was Charles thinking? When V.V. reached his own throne room, he was surprised to find someone waiting for him there._

"_Bismarck Waldstein. What does the Knight of One want here?" V.V. asked coldly. The answer was immediate and equally cold._

"_In the name of his majesty, the 98th emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire Charles zi Britannia, you are hereby under arrest. The next leader of the Directorate has already been chosen and will soon take your place." Directly after those words, five men jumped out of the shadows and charged at V.V. He struggled, but he was no match for five grown men. Bismarck pulled out a stun gun and the last thing V.V. saw was the man's face, unemotional like a marble statue._

_'A waste of time... That was indeed the only purpose Charles request served. It was meant to get me out of the Directorate long enough to set this trap. Charles, how dare you break our oath?' V.V. thought, regretting he had let Rolo leave his side so soon. Then Bismarck used the electro-shocker and everything went black._

_When V.V. awoke, he could neither speak nor move very well. He looked around and realized he __was no longer in the Directorate. Soon after, a group of people entered, led by a fat man with a monocle. The next two weeks would be sheer hell._

-0-

Lelouch was still thinking about V.V.'s story. If this was true, and Lelouch was certain this was the truth, this could potentially become more dangerous than he had ever expected. If only he could have gotten more information out of V.V., but after he had told him the story of his capture, Lelouch's contractor had gone silent and went to sleep. At least V.V. had been kind enough not to take his bed. Lelouch's train of thought was interrupted when Milly Ashford smacked him on the head.

"Lelouch, I know you're sleeping, your hand stopped moving!" She shouted. This time she was wrong. Lelouch had been awake, only lost in thoughts. But this didn't seem like the time to correct that mistake.

"Well you don't have to beat me up about it." He muttered.

Rivalz grinned. "Serves you right for ditching me like that."

That was not a good time for that, since Shirley jumped up to add another lecture. "That's right Lulu, what was up with you yesterday?"

Lelouch slightly flinched when she called him by that old nickname again. He was used to it by now, but he had never liked it. Milly spared him the answer.

"Now now, let's not get sidetracked here, if we don't get the club budgets balanced soon, there won't be money left for anything."

Nina, who was on the computer working on god-knows-what, spoke. "And if that happens..."

Rivalz shrugged. "The equestrian club will be pissed. We don't want them coming in here on horseback." As if he had heard him, a mounted member of that club passed the window.

Milly frowned. "Rivalz, can't you be a more serious student council member?"

Now Shirley looked at Milly. "You know, it would have been nice if you had told us about this mess a day ago."

Rivalz grinned. "I would have to say a day later, then we would have given up."

Lelouch looked up. Not only did Rivalz have an idea, but it was a really good one too. In fact, this was brilliant. He smiled. "Good idea, we can still do that."

Then Milly shouted. "GUUUUUUUUTTSSSSS!"

The others whimpered. She was way too loud.

After a lot of work and a dirty joke from Milly referring to Shirley's bust, they somehow managed to finish their workload. When they entered the classroom, Lelouch saw that the news was broadcasting about Shinjuku. But of course, the news described it as terrorists using poison gas. But why didn't they bring anything about Clovis being injured? When he remembered shooting his brother and killing those two men, he had to suppress the urge to throw up and rushed to the bathroom.

After relieving himself, he looked into the mirror. "I guess I'm not as tough as I thought I was." He muttered. "Though that will most likely change with time. One can't change the world without getting his hands dirty, and if I want to see this through to the end, I will have to toughen up."

-0-

Meanwhile, Margrave Jeremiah Gottwald, now leader of the purist faction and Viletta Nu, were discussing the most recent events.

"This whole inspection is a farce. Bartley, that coward, deserted Clovis long before he was attacked. That those old geezers wouldn't be able to protect his majesty was obvious. And now he orders an inspection? What a load of crap!" Jeremiah muttered. If there was something he couldn't forgive, it was harm resulting to the royal family because of cowardice of those who would be able to protect them, but chose to run instead.

"How is prince Clovis doing?" Villetta asked.

"His injuries are not life-threatening, but he is in shock and will probably be unable to act as viceroy for a while."

Villetta looked at Jeremiah. "Then wouldn't this be the perfect time for us, the purist faction, to..."

Jeremiah raised his finger and interrupted her. "Why don't you let me make that call? We still have to get some people over to our side."

-0-

When Lelouch returned to the classroom, he noticed some girls were making a fuss. He looked and saw a girl sitting there. She looked familiar. Then Lelouch remembered. She was the pilot of that red Glasgow that had saved him from the Lancelot! What was she doing here?

* * *

And chapter 4 is complete. Again, how did you like it? What can I do better? You know, the usual. And did you really think that I would put so much work into shaping Clovis into something people might actually like, just to kill him the next chapter? He'll make it, though I'm not sure how much I will use him.

To MisterSP: No I haven't, but thanks for the tip. I've added something in chapter 3, hope that it's enough to correct my mistake. And thanks again, I respect critics, as long as they don't simply write to insult.

To All That Is Left Unsaid: As I've written at the beginning of this chapter, but the Lancelot destroyed more than half of the Sutherlands before it found Lelouch, I just didn't write it. And Lelouch had planned to organize the retreat as bait, but was cut short when the Lancelot appeared above him and attacked. I hope I've answered your questions with this.

Oh, and I know that V.V. wasn't the one who designed or built the Siegfried, but I changed that. Sue me.

Well, right now I don't have much to add, just this:

Please Review


	5. Suspicions

Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own CG

* * *

The look Lelouch had given Kallen did not go unnoticed by Rivalz, who saw it as his duty to provide Lelouch with all the information he had about his buddy's 'love interest.'

"Kallen Stadtfeld. They say she's sick or something. She's the only heir to the Stadtfeld family, which means she's well-bred and rolling in money. Man, you sure know how to pick 'em. A bit too sheltered though if you ask me."

Lelouch had to suppress the urge to snort. 'Sheltered? You have no idea, Rivalz.' Then he turned back to his friend. "I told you, its not like that."

Then the bell rung and everyone left the building. He and Rivalz left as well, splitting up when Rivalz saw Milly and tried to start a conversation. 'Perfect timing, Milly.' Lelouch thought as he turned to watch Kallen and her friends. They were acting like ordinary girls and Lelouch was starting to wonder if he had mistaken Kallen for someone else and if the pilot of the Glasgow was really her, but then a bee flew right into the group of girls. Lelouch smiled at the situation, then Kallen came running in his direction, the bee hot on her tail. As soon as she thought she was hidden by the bushes, she stood calm and looked at the bee.

"I don't get it, why is there a bee after me? I wonder if there's a hive nearby." Then she smacked it right out of the air so fast, Lelouch hardly saw her hand move.

Lelouch raised his brows. Most of his doubt dispersed with that show, he was almost certain that she was that pilot, and from what he had just witnessed, she seemed to have some skill outside of a Knightmare as well. While he slowly walked toward her, he heard her mutter.

"God I hate this! I'm sick of acting like a freaking invalid!" Lelouch had to smile. Sheltered, yeah right. Then she noticed him.

She looked at him with a rather unpleasant expression, and Lelouch decided to spare himself the long tricky interrogation and directly activated his Geass.

"I want answers." Kallen straitened up and nodded.

"Of course." Lelouch smiled. This power of his was incredible. But now to get some answers.

"Where you the one piloting the Glasgow in Shinjuku?"

The girl nodded. "Yes."

Lelouch couldn't help but smile. He had been right. "But why resort to terrorism?"

"Because I'm Japanese." Lelouch had not expected that. "Although technically, I'm half-Britannian."

"A halfbreed?" That explained everything. The girl would not be fully accepted in the Britannian nor the Japanese society because of her blood. In a way, she was cursed. "What did you steal from the Britannians?" Lelouch was curious if they had actually known what they had been trying to steal.

"We stole a container filled with poison gas that we intended to use against Britannia, but it was lost." Obviously not. Lelouch released the girl from his Geass. He had what he came for.

Kallen looked at Lelouch. How long had he been standing there? It wasn't like her mind to just wander like that. She looked at him again. "Did you want something?" For some weird reason, the boy smiled.

"No, I got what I wanted." She looked at him in confusion. What did he mean? Then he seamed to remember something. "Oh yeah, just to be sure. Don't tell anyone about Shinjuku." She stiffened up. What did he say, and more importantly, why would he say it to her?

"What do you mean, about Shinjuku?"

Lelouch's eyes widened. This was not what he had expected. He tried again. "Go to class." Again, Kallen seemed angered, not hypnotized. What was going on? Had he lost his power? Then he remembered V.V. had muttered about the restrictions of his Geass. Could it be that it only worked once per person? That would explain this, but it didn't help him out of this situation.

"As soon as I get an answer from you." Kallen had stopped sounding like a sick and shy girl. She was now the pilot of the Glasgow and Lelouch knew that if nothing happened, this could get very ugly for him. If she came to see him as a threat, his life could be in jeopardy. But then the desperately needed miracle arrived in form of Shirley leaning out of a window.

"Hey, Lulu, Kallen. It's time to head for chem lab, you better get a move on." Lelouch stared for a second.

'Shirley, I will never complain about your preaching again. Well, at least not for the next week.' Then he pretended to remember something. "Crap, it's my turn to set up for class! Gotta go!"

And with that, he ran, leaving Kallen behind to dwell in her suspicions.

-0-

After school, he went to see V.V. The boy was waiting for him.

"Ah, Lelouch, good that you're here, there's something I want to discuss with..."

"Not now." Lelouch interrupted him. "I have a question. This power, is it possible to loose it? I mean, is the times I can use it limited, like the ammunition in a gun?"

V.V. looked at him. "No Lelouch, there is only one way to loose your power besides dying and I can assure you that hasn't happened. And there are different limitations for each Geass, but not a set number of usages. Maybe a set number of times it works on a person, but you can use it as often as you want."

Lelouch nodded. "I thought so. Now if you'll excuse me, there are a few things I must do, and I have to get them done before dinner, I promised Nunnally we would have it together."

That caused V.V. to look up. Nunnally vi Britannia was here? She survived as well? Perhaps his problem could wait a few days, this could be very interesting.

-0-

Bartley looked at his colleagues in the Code:R project.

"We are facing a few problems now that we lost our main research object and with prince Clovis injury. I am seen as a coward who ran long before the threat arrived, and with prince Clovis in this state, the empire might decide to send someone with real leader-qualities that might not like our project. I have moved our base to Narita, just to be safe. Do not worry, his majesty, the emperor has hinted that this will have no effect on the post promised to me and I've also been informed that what we'll find at that new post will be a tremendous help to our research. Even I didn't believe it at first, but his majesty has been aware of our research the entire time and as it turns out, the test subject we gained was supplied to us by the emperor himself. We will remain here in Area 11 for the rest of our project and even though we lost something irreplaceable, things are starting to look up. I have also received some very interesting blueprints, but that can be discussed later. For now, let's get all this over to our new facility in Narita."

Cheerful muttering at the new perspectives followed while they packed their stuff together. Bartley looked at a picture of the lost subject. The boy was bound in a chair. Things would have gone so much easier if they still had him, but still, things seemed to be looking up. Now all he had to do was watch out for Jeremiah Gottwald, the new leader of the purist faction was out for his blood.

-0-

Lelouch had returned a bit later than he had planned, but it had been worth it. He knew the maximum range of his Geass, at least roughly, and found out it could be reflected from mirrors and other reflecting surfaces. The container he had found V.V. in was now safely stored away in a secret hiding place. Since both the terrorists and most of the Britannian military seemed to think it held poison gas, it might be a good bluff, especially if he really filled some gas in it. Nothing poisonous, just colored smoke or maybe even something that knocked people out. Having a few tricks up one's sleeve was never wrong. Then he entered the room and saw Nunnally and Sayoko folding origami. Lelouch was grateful for all the maid did for him and Nunnally, like keeping her company. He smiled at them and Nunnally returned the smile, even though Nunnally couldn't see him, she returned the smile.

"Welcome home, Lelouch."

Sayoko slightly bowed. "Yes, welcome home, my lord."

Lelouch smiled at her. She would probably never drop the formal titles she had given them, but he had gotten used to that. "No place like it, Sayoko."

Afterwords, he and Sayoko prepared dinner. Sayoko was one of the few people that manged to keep up with his expectations when it came to the ingredients. When they were finished, Sayoko sent him to take a seat with Nunnally while she served the meal.

Nunnally didn't seem to be able to wait to tell her brother about her new passion, origami. When she spilled some food, Lelouch laughed.

"You don't have to tell me all at once. It's not like I'm going anywhere."

Nunnally smiled at him again. "You're right. But last night, you scared me a little."

Lelouch seemed surprised. "Did I? I'm sorry, I just have a lot on my mind right now." 'Like immortals and an army of Geass-users against me.'

"They say, if you fold a thousand of these cranes, your wish will come true. Is there anything you wish for?"

Lelouch thought about it. "Not really, what about you?"

Nunnally seemed to consider multiple options, then she answered. "I wish the world was a gentler place."

Lelouch smiled. That was just like his sister. "I'm sure that when the day comes that you can finally see again, it will be."

Nunnally turned her head towards him. "Really?"

"I promise." Lelouch looked down as he laid his hand on hers. He knew these days would not last forever, the day would come when the Ashford family would be unable to shelter them and their identities would be exposed. If that happened, their friends would most likely abandon them and they would be used as political tools, but Lelouch would do everything in his power to make sure that when Nunnally opened her eyes, she'd be looking at a kind world. And thanks to V.V., the chances of that happening had increased tremendously. Then he noticed Nunnally had locked their pinky fingers. He looked at her again.

"Sayoko taught me this the other day, it's called a Japanese promise:

_Cross my heart,  
hope to die,  
__eat a thousand needles  
if I lie.  
Pinky promise song._"

Lelouch blinked. "Well that's scary, I may have to eat a thousand needles someday."

Nunnally nodded. "That's right." She exclaimed cheerfully "So I better not catch you lying, okay Lelouch?"

Now Lelouch laughed. "Don't worry, I'll never lie, I swear." 'Not to you, anyway.' He mentally added.

-0-

Behind the door, V.V. had heard every word. "A promise to never lie and the desire to protect a younger sibling, huh? You and I might not be so different after all. But be careful, those promises are the hardest ones to keep." He muttered. With this, Lelouch had unknowingly earned a bit of V.V.'s respect. And V.V. was looking forward to a conversation with Nunnally as well.

-0-

The next day, Kallen was having a conversation with Ohgi over the phone.

"Look Ohgi, maybe I should just ditch school and come over to you guys."

Ohgi didn't seem to like the idea. "No, stay there and let things calm down. Besides, Naoto would be happy to see you back in school." It was a low-blow and he knew it, but it worked. Her dead brother was something that always brought Kallen back to reason.

"You're right," She muttered in defeat " but what about that voice?"

Ohgi had also thought about him many times, but the result was always the same. "We can't go looking for a voice, we wouldn't find him in a hundred years. Look, just forget about Shinjuku and try to enjoy school for a few days. I'll contact you again later." With that, he hung up the phone.

Kallen was lost in thought. He was right, it was nearly impossible to find that voice from Shinjuku. Shinjuku... Didn't that one guy, Lelouch, mention Shinjuku? But that must have been a coincidence. But what if it wasn't?

In class, she listened to Lelouch's voice and compared it to the one out of the radio. They seemed to be similar, but Kallen wasn't sure. It had been a few days, so the mysterious voice had already faded from her memory. But if she was right and Lelouch was the voice, she would have to take care of him, and soon.

-0-

Lelouch noticed Kallen was looking at him through a mirror in her pencil case. All he did was mention Shinjuku, and now this. He needed to do something fast, before she would threaten his life. He thought about it, then he got an idea. The best way to get her off his back was to simply be there when the voice reappeared. Now all he needed was a chance to do so, but first, he would have to lessen her distrust.

After class, he asked her if she could spare a minute. To his embarrassment, both Shirley and Kallen's friends seemed to misunderstand his intentions and Kallen's reply had been ambiguous enough to fuel the fire of misunderstandings. Lelouch silently prayed that this wouldn't create some weird rumor.

Lelouch had thought the student council clubhouse would be a good place to have a small, undisturbed discussion, but he had been wrong. The entire student council was here, but why?

-0-

Kallen seemed confused. Lelouch had said something about undisturbed, and now a blond girl called Milly was telling her that she would join the student council. Was this why he had called her here? And was Milly Ashford related to the principal? Then a little girl in a wheelchair came into the room. Suddenly Lelouch abandoned the guise of a student not caring about anything and transformed into the incarnation of worry and care.

"Nunnally, what are you doing here? Wait, let me help you with that." Kallen blinked in confusion. Was this really the same person?

Milly walked next to her."This is Lelouch's sister."

That explained a lot. Kallen felt sympathy for the blind and crippled girl. Britannian or not, this girl was not guilty of any crime and probably had a hard time in the Britannian society, which was focused on results and superiority. When Nunnally greeted her, Kallen gave her one of her rare true smiles. Then the other boy, Rivalz, pulled out a bottle of what looked like champagne. A girl with orange hair seemed upset.

"Give me that!" The boy had a hard time keeping it from her and finally passed it to Lelouch, who seemed surprised that it suddenly was in his hands. While he was still in shock, the girl charged at him and they both landed on the floor. Kallen thought it was funny, until she noticed two things. First of all, the cork was shaking and seemed about to pop and secondly, it was pointed directly at her. When it popped, Kallen smacked it away, but the diversion had made her miss the main attack. Whatever was in the bottle was pouring on her head, then the pressure dropped and it soaked her uniform before the flow of liquid finally stopped. Everyone else was staring at what happened, except for Nunnally, who could see what was going on.

"Um, what just happened?" No one knew what to answer.

-0-

Lelouch was embarrassed. This was not what he had planned, but with a little imagination, this could be used to his advantage. He grabbed a recorder and left a message for Kallen in the slightly darker voice he had used to commandeer the terrorists. Then he geassed Sayoko. He didn't have a good feeling about manipulating one of the most loyal people he knew, but at least it was nothing bad and she would be immune to it now. He would have used V.V. instead, but the immortal was nowhere to be found. Now all he needed to do was get the timing right.

He knocked at the door to the bathroom and was let in. After a short, innocent-seeming questioning about his living circumstances, Lelouch was getting ready to leave, but he had to be in sight when the call came. Then Kallen asked for a purse, and when Lelouch passed it through the curtain, she grabbed his hand and held it in a clad-iron grip. Lelouch knew he had no chance of escape, so he didn't even try. Instead, he tried to keep the girl from slitting his wrists until the call came to his rescue. He should have arranged it a bit sooner. Then Kallen asked the expected question:

"Were you the one from Shinjuku?" When Lelouch made a surprised sound, she added "You mentioned Shinjuku the other day, why?"

Lelouch smiled, even though a bead of sweat was running down his neck. "Why are you asking, is there something wrong with Shinjuku?" He could feel the pressure on his wrist increasing.

"Don't answer my question with a question! YES or NO, that's all I want to hear from you." The blade moved a little closer to his arm. Lelouch was getting worried, but then, _finally_, the phone rang.

Lelouch suppressed the urge to sigh in relief, grabbed the phone and simulated a conversation. Then he held it to Kallen. "It's for you. He says he knows you."

Kallen grabbed the phone and a familiar voice filled her ears. "Glad you're still alive, Q1. 1600 hours the day after tomorrow, the observation deck at Tokyo Tower. Come alone." Even though Lelouch couldn't hear the voice, he knew the text and hid a smile. 'Come alone' was the safest way to ensure she'd bring support.

Kallen shouted into the phone, unknowingly pulling open the curtain. Lelouch caught a few glimpses, then he quickly turned his head. He had cheated death once already today, no need to push his luck.

When she was done yelling, Lelouch spoke, his eyes focused on the door. "Sounds like you keep dangerous company." When he heard her stutter, he decided to give her an excuse. "Let me guess, a game? Something online?" She seemed thankful and agreed. Lelouch couldn't help but add a final comment for a quick escape. "By the way, you know I can see you, right? I won't tell anyone."

As he'd expected, she covered herself and gave Lelouch time to reach the exit. 'Well, that went better than I expected.' He thought to himself.

-0-

When Kallen finally left the bathroom, Lelouch had started to suspect she was trying to drown herself in the shower, Lelouch explained the duties of the student council, letting out only dealing with Milly's usual crazy ideas and events. Lelouch was sure she'd find that out soon enough on her own and frankly, he didn't want to remember them. Then they reached the room where the others had been waiting.

Nunnally turned to face them. "Lelouch, it's awful."

Rivalz turned around as well. "Clovis has been heavily injured and two of his advisers were killed. They say Clovis will be in the hospital for weeks."

Kallen was surprised. The unknown voice had spared the prince? Why? She would have to ask him when she would meet him at Tokyo Tower.

As if to answer her, the picture changed to a podium where man with orange eyes and bluish hair was standing and holding a speech.

"Our beloved prince Clovis has been seriously injured by a cowardly assassin who murdered the men, the proud leader of our purist faction and his admirable second-in-command, who were trying to protect him. They died as martyrs to save prince Clovis's life and I am proud to say that, even though it cost them their lives, they succeeded. We must all bear our sorrow at the loss of these great men and true patriots, and do all in our power to make sure that there will not be another attempt on his highness's life. We will not let their sacrifice be in vain and we will punish whoever it was that killed them and dared raise his hand against our beloved prince Clovis. This will not be forgotten, nor forgiven!" Then the broadcast was interrupted.

Lelouch was calm, until they showed the suspect for the attack. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped, but fortunately, nobody noticed it. It was Suzaku! He saw how he was in a prison suit, not unlike the one he had found V.V. in and Lelouch ground his teeth as he saw one of the soldiers dragging him slapping him in the face. How did they manage to screw up this much? He had to do something. He glanced at Kallen. Perhaps he could kill two birds with one stone. Gaining the trust of the terrorists while saving his best friend seemed like a good idea, but Lelouch would have to plan this carefully to keep it from blowing up in his face.

-0-

When Lelouch entered his room, V.V. was waiting for him. "Ah, Lelouch, good that you're here, I wanted to talk to you about... What's wrong?"

Lelouch looked at him. "My best friend was chosen as the scapegoat for what happened to Clovis and his advisers. Now I'm trying to figure out a way to get him out of this mess."

That was not what V.V. had expected. "Why was your friend chosen as the scapegoat? Wait, before you answer that, you have a friend?"

Lelouch glared at him. "This is not times for jokes! And my friend, Suzaku Kururugi, was chosen as a scapegoat by the purist faction because he is an honorary Britannian."

V.V. blinked. "Kururugi? As in, son of Japan's last prime minister Genbu Kururugi? That would give him a motive, at least in the public's eyes. So, what do you plan to do?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm going to rescue him."

V.V. seemed humored. "And just how do you intend to do that? Your Geass is powerful, but not almighty, and neither are you. Even if I decide to help you, there is not much I can do. And I won't go anywhere near a TV-camera, I don't want to do all the work for your father."

Lelouch sighed. "If you're as smart as you said you were, I could use your help in my planning. And don't worry, I intend to use that terrorist cell we met last time, Kallen Stadtfeld, the newest member of the student council, is the pilot of that Glasgow that saved us in Shinjuku."

V.V. looked at him. "That could be dangerous. You should plan your mission with minimal personnel, I can't imagine you getting many people on this, it sounds like a suicide mission. If you're lucky, you'll get two or three of them to work with you at most. And you shouldn't use your Geass on them either, if it really works only once per person, you might need it later on."

Lelouch nodded. Now he needed three things. A plan, a disguise and a name. For the plan, he had an idea that might work, and he only needed two helpers to get it done in time. It was a bit flashy, but sometimes it was best to take refuge in audacity. He was already working on a disguise, or rather, a few people he'd geassed when he retrieved the container were. So the only problem left was getting rid of a few rough edges, alright, many rough edges and find a name that would never be forgotten. He looked at his contractor.

"I have a plan that still needs a little work, but for my meeting with the terrorists in two days I need an alias that will be remembered forever as the one who destroyed Britannia. So it needs to be easy to remember and not too cliché. Perhaps it would be good if it symbolized Britannia's fear, or at least my father's."

V.V. looked at him. "I'm dying to hear your plan." He said, a slightly sarcastic tone in his voice. "And hearing you speak, I was just wondering, what would your ideal Britannian country be?"

"Burning." Lelouch answered.

V.V. sighed, but he set the topic aside for the moment and turned to Lelouch's other problem. "As for the name, the emperor believes in absolute strength, so he is afraid of nothing. Nada. Zero."

Lelouch looked at him. "Zero, that doesn't sound too bad. The terrorist leader, the rebel, the revolutionary Zero. As for my plan, I'll tell you later. But that really doesn't sound bad. The man who crushed the world, and the one who created the world anew, _Zero._"

* * *

Chapter 5 is done. I'm sorry, I feel I relied on the story a bit too much. I just wasn't sure what to change. C.C. wasn't there in the original story and V.V. is still forced to hide, so I couldn't alter too much. I'll try to make sure the next chapters will have more differences to the original story.

And I will make C.C. appear eventually and not in V.V.'s canon role, leading the Geass Directorate would be way too much of a hassle for her. And the leader of the Directorate doesn't need to have a Code, it's just an advantage.

I would like to ask my usual questions: How id you like it, am I keeping them in character (Bartley is intended as well, for some reason I never liked him and the loyal type that blames himself is not befitting of the coward that ran away when things got tough), what can I do better?

Oh, and about my updating both stories at the same time: I'll still do that, but should I face a writers block in one, I won't keep the other one on hold until I overcome it. And my next update might take a while, I have to do some stuff for school. But, as I've written in my other fic, the more reviews I get, the harder I'll try to get some writing done in between my school work.

All that's left now is this:

Please Review


	6. Rescue

Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own CG

* * *

V.V. had to chuckle. "So it's Zero. Indeed, easy to remember, and with a philosophical touch. All things come from zero, and zero all will become. Now that you have your name, what exactly are you planning?"

Lelouch looked at him. "Simple really, I'll use your container as a bluff. Most of the military thinks it holds poison gas, so if I really fill it with some colored smoke, everyone will buy it. They already declared that they will give Suzaku a grand parade to his court martial with a huge crowd, so if I get close enough to both the crowd and someone in command, I can offer a trade."

V.V. snorted. "Do you really believe they'll hand him over? They think he shot the prince, and for the purist faction, it's their once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to finally get rid of the honorary Britannian system."

Lelouch nodded. "You're right, if I want a chance to get an exchange, I'll have to admit that it was me, and I'll need my Geass to get my wishes done, but it will be good reputation for our new antihero."

"So the only problems are how we, or rather you, get close enough to make those threats without being shot first, and how you make your escape, although that last one can be simplified with your Geass." V.V. had correctly summed up the problem.

"Yes, I still haven't figured out how to get past those purists that used Clovis's absence to... Clovis? Yes, why not, I'll use Clovis to get close."

"And how do you intend to do that? Even if he is blowing his injury out of proportion, he's nowhere near fit enough to be of any help." V.V. questioned.

"You know that and I know that, but the purist faction might not be so certain. Anyways, I don't intend to use Clovis, just his car, or rather, something that looks like it." Lelouch smirked.

V.V. had to laugh. "I see. That's so crazy, it just might work. So you'll build a dummy royal transport, or rather let whoever you can woo over build it for you, looking from what I've been privileged to see of your fitness in Shinjuku, and hide the capsule in it. But really, you can't drive a Knightmare without smashing it into something at least once, your driving skills in a car are barely passable, and you cave in under minimal physical exercise. Are you sure you have what it takes to fight a war against a power that holds one third of the world in it's grasp?"

Lelouch glared at him. "Would you stop that? Why do you find such enormous joy in mocking me? It was my first time in a Sutherland and I will fight because I must! I promised Nunnally that when she opened her eyes, she would look at a gentle world and I will make that come true. If it means I have to burn down the heavens, obliterate hell and topple the entire world then so be it. I will wade through rivers of blood if it will grant that one wish."

Lelouch didn't notice it, but V.V.'s gaze softened. 'Very well Lelouch, if that is your desire, then I won't stand in your way. I'm curious if your bond is strong enough to last, or if it will be broken.' Then he focused again and looked at Lelouch. "That all sounds good and well, but you still have to convince those terrorists to help you. If that one red haired idiot helps, it might be smarter to just cancel your plans and geass the entire trial into submission."

Lelouch agreed. If the guy who screwed up the retrieval mission decided to help, it would all go to hell in minutes. Fortunately, that person seemed too distrusting to join. Kallen would probably come with him, and if Lelouch had judged the man correctly, so would the 'leader' of the terrorists. And those two would be enough. But now it was time to get rid of a few ruff edges and, more importantly, formulate a speech that would convince them.

-0-

Kallen had left school to attend a meeting at their headquarters, a small cellar, to inform him about what happened. Ohgi and the others were curious, to say the least.

"So, that voice from Shinjuku contacted you and gave you time and place for a meeting?" Ohgi asked.

Kallen nodded. "Yes, and he told me to come alone."

Mutters started within the group, then Tamaki raised his voice. "No way you meet the guy alone, what if it's a trap?"

Ohgi agreed. "He's right and even if it's not a trap, I want to see him myself. Also..." He looked at the TV were reports about Suzaku Kururugi and his trial were still running on every channel.

Kento Sugiyama nodded. "Also, who says it wasn't Kururugi that contacted us before they caught him?"

Kallen bit her lip. It was possible. But then she had an idea "It's possible, but what they showed on TV didn't look like live footage, and he's in a prisoner outfit. It looks like they already had him a while before they showed him."

Ohgi realized what she meant. "That leaves two possibilities. Either our voice is not Kururugi, or it is. But if it really is Kururugi, then this is a trap."

"But if it's not, then we might gain a powerful ally. Do you remember how he completely turned the Shinjuku-affair around? I mean, we had nothing, just one Glasgow running on empty, and he managed to organize us Sutherlands and directed us so we completely overwhelmed Britannia, at least until that white monster came into play. But lets be honest, we had lost when it showed up, or could one of us do anything against that?" Kallen summed it up. Everyone shook their heads. When that thing appeared, they had been sitting ducks.

Ohgi nodded. "It can't hurt to look, I mean, why shouldn't a Japanese go to Tokyo Tower? And Kallen looks like a Britannian, so she is the last one they suspect to be a terrorist."

Yoshitaka snorted. "Especially since the purist faction is now in command of everything. A Japanese can hardly enter a store these days. Makes you almost wish Clovis was back. Spare me the look, Tamaki, I wasn't serious."

Tamaki had jumped up and seemed ready to charge at him, but he sat back down and grumbled. "So, what do we do?" He then asked.

Ohgi thought about it for a minute, then he made a decision. "We check it out. Kallen, you will go, otherwise he might not show up. But a few of us will come with you, there's no way you're going there alone."

Kallen nodded. That seemed like the best solution.

-0-

"Are you serious?" V.V. was looking at Lelouch like the cast-away prince had lost his mind. "Did you by any chance hit your head when you ordered whoever did this to make it?" He was holding the outfit for Zero that had just been completed. It looked like a purple diving suit, only with integrated shoes. "The mask looks okay, but this? What do you intend to do, go diving? Do you plan to free the fish from Britannia's rule?"

Lelouch looked at the boy. "So it's almost skintight, what is your problem?"

"_Almost_ skintight? Are you sure that there's enough room for _you_ in this? You could go swimming in this thing, with you in it, it'd be far too stretched to absorb liquids. Seriously, this looks like it'll rip apart if you even try to move in it."

Lelouch scowled. "You're exaggerating, it won't even be skintight." Lelouch put it on and V.V. seemed to fiercely struggle with his laughter, but was quickly overwhelmed. Even Lelouch had to admit that it was not comfortable, and didn't look very impressive either.

"If Britannia sees you in that," the blond boy gasped between laughs "You're going to get easy wins, just shoot the people rolling on the floor holding their sides. Some might actually take pity on you. Please, take that off, I'm gonna break a rib if you keep it on."

"I'll admit, it needs a little work." V.V. raised a brow, still chuckling. Lelouch sighed. "Okay, it needs a lot of work, I'll have to do something about it later, but how does this look?" He draped himself in the cape that was still in the box.

"You look like a bat." V.V. commented, before adding "But it doesn't look too bad. The cape does give a bit of a flair, but the problem really is what happens when the cape opens. You look like like an idiot. Take my advice, take what you're wearing to a designer and geass him into turning that stuff into something that doesn't squash the very concept of dignity on sight."

Lelouch nodded. This thing was a catastrophe and the first impression was usually the last impression, both in Britannia and Japan. But where to find a capable designer? As if he read his thoughts, V.V. gave him a note with an address on it. Lelouch looked at it.

V.V. sighed. "Truth be told, I expected you to screw up the outfit. Well, I didn't think it would be this bad, but you don't seem to be the type of person to care for fashion. Not that I am, but if you want to be taken seriously, you can't look like an idiot. Go there." He pointed at the note. "That's the address of a good designer who has the rare talent of actually turning the outfits he imagines into reality. Has enough cash to cloak an army in silk and he can refuse to work even if nobility asks, if he wants to. Weird guy, seems to only care about his work, but his works are first-class, from what I heard, anyway."

Lelouch seemed curious. "I only got you out of that capsule a few days ago and from what you said, I guessed that the Directorate was somewhere else, so how do you know that?"

"Simple, I looked through the Internet. If I stay somewhere, I want to know about the place. _Scientia potestas est,_ knowledge is power." V.V. replied. "I like to be as close to omniscient as possible, and after being cut of from any and all sources of information, I had some catching up to do."

Lelouch gave up. "Okay, I'll check the place out, maybe there is hope for this thing. It looks like the place can be reached by foot in ten minutes."

"Five minutes if you can convince your body to jog." V.V. added. Lelouch was persistently ignoring him whenever he tried to mention a personal matter that V.V. found important. He would wait until Lelouch freed his friend, then they would need to talk.

"Can't you spend ten minutes without taking a shot at me?" Lelouch asked, visibly annoyed.

"I could, but what fun would that be? I simply say what I see." V.V. stated humbly, but he had to smirk.

"Modesty is the highest form of arrogance, you should try to remember that." Lelouch replied as he left, the box with the disaster of an outfit under his arm.

V.V. openly grinned. "Don't forget, as much as I mock you, I am still on your side."

"Yeah, with friends like that, who needs enemies?" Lelouch muttered.

-0-

Meanwhile, Jeremiah was personally interrogating Suzaku Kururugi. "Do you see this weapon? It was the one used that injured prince Clovis and robbed the lives of his advisers. Our investigation leaves no doubt."

Suzaku shook his head. "You're making a mistake, I have never even laid eyes on that gun." As soon as he said that, a soldier kicked away the chair and Suzaku fell to the floor in pain. This was not the first beating he had received in the last few days.

"We found your fingerprints all over this weapon. You're also suspected of murdering members of the royal guard as well. And we did some homework on you as well. You're the child of Japan's last prime minister, are you not? Your motive here is clear. Come clean now and you will be judged as if you were born in Britannia, not like some worthless Eleven." Other purists would have started yelling by now, but Jeremiah didn't really believe in the message. He knew that he had to see him as guilty, even though he knew better.

'Sorry kid,' he thought 'I have to see you as guilty, but I will clear your name later. I will never again allow a crime against the royal family go unpunished. The one who really did this will not get away.'

Suzaku tried to defend himself again. "You're wrong, I've done nothing..." He was cut short when a soldier kicked him in the face. Jeremiah sighed.

'Are you really that foolish? Nobody here cares if you did it, you're just a scapegoat.' This would be a long day and they would probably cart him to his trial without a confession.

-0-

Lelouch had found the place, and V.V. hadn't been kidding. This place smelled like money. The fact that it seemed to have hardly any windows was another plus in Lelouch's book and when he entered, he saw that while there were a few security systems, there were no cameras. He could hardly hide his smile. The man at the counter looked at him.

"What do you want?" Lelouch looked at him. The man was tall and slim and working on a piece of cloth. It seemed like he knew what he was doing, so perhaps Lelouch wasn't doomed yet. He smiled at the man.

"Excuse me, are you the designer that owns this shop?"

The man looked at him. "I am Henry Willerbee, yes. And who might you be?"

Lelouch smiled as he activated his Geass. "You will fulfill my requests whenever I inform you that I have one. You will not remember me unless I tell you to, and you will not require payment from me unless I desire to give it, even then, I will decide the price. Your servitude is focused on your profession, you are not required to go to battle should I say so. You will give my requests highest priority, but you will inform me if high-ranking nobility or the royal family have requested something. You will deliver information to me when I come by and you will attempt to get it from your customers, although if you don't have to try to gain any information if they get suspicious. You will not tell anyone about what you make for me. Oh, and you will delete me from all of your records and surveillance systems unless I tell you otherwise, understood?"

Henry's eyes had become an empty gaze and while he nodded, red rings were visible around his iris. "What can I do for you?"

Lelouch smiled and handed him the box. "Can you turn me into an intimidating appearance with this? If not, can you use something different? It needs to get done by today."

The man nodded and turned the sign on his shop to closed. Then he called Lelouch to a back room. There were no windows, which helped Lelouch's purpose of going by unnoticed. Henry looked into the box and a look of disgust filled his face. "No, this is not acceptable. We will have to make an entirely new outfit for you. Tell me, what should its effects on people be? What do you intend to do when you wear it? Is it just for show or do you actually want to move in it?"

-0-

After five hours, Lelouch dragged himself back into his room, where V.V. was already waiting for him. Lelouch weakly glared at him. "I hate you." He muttered before dropping on his bed like a rock.

"What's wrong?" V.V. asked, knowing exactly what was wrong. Henry Willerbee was just like Lloyd, only in a different profession and with a little less humor. He did great work, but the amount of emotions emotions he put into it was just ridiculous.

"The guy questioned me for almost two hours, that's wrong." Lelouch hissed. Still, the speed at which the man worked was impressive, but Lelouch was glad he didn't need to deal with this man too often.

V.V. was curious. "And, what did he make out of that disaster you called outfit?" Lelouch threw the box and V.V. caught it. When he looked inside, he whistled. "Now with this you can earn some respect. No compare to what you brought to the guy. Now you need to plan a speech that will convince the terrorists, and I believe that your dinner with Nunnally starts in five minutes."

Lelouch rose up and got ready for the meal, not without giving V.V. another look. "When did you become my notebook?" V.V. simply raised his hands in defense and Lelouch left his room and closed the door just in time to see Sayoko coming up the stairs.

"Is it time for dinner?" Sayoko nodded.

-0-

At the dinner table, Lelouch was still busy soothing Nunnally's worries.

"Do you think they'll execute Suzaku?" She asked. Lelouch would keep that from happening, come hell or high water, but that was not the right way to calm down his sister.

"No Nunnally, I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding. You know Suzaku, he'd never do something like that. You'll see, Clovis will recover and he'll testify that it was someone else. Then everyone will apologize and who knows, I might even be able to sneak him into Ashford so we can be together again, at least for a while." He answered instead. It had the desired effect.

"I'm sure you're right. Do you remember at the Kururugi shrine, you and Suzaku always got into all kinds of competitions and he would always win if it involved physical activity?"

Lelouch laughed. "Yes, I remember, but I've never lost in a game of wits."

Now Nunnally laughed as well. "Well, the only one who ever beat you in chess was brother Schneizel."

"Yes, and it's still bugging me that I've never gotten my chance for a rematch. But enough dwelling in memories, it's time for you to go to bed." Lelouch brought Nunnally to bed and was happy to see that he had calmed her worries a little. The reality was not as bright. The purist faction would have executed Suzaku long before Clovis would be able to declare him innocent, so it was up to Lelouch to spare his oldest and best friend the fate of death.

-0-

Lloyd was explaining the circumstances of Suzaku's arrest to Cecile. He himself was very upset with the loss of his newest part. He knew that it would be the best one they would ever get.

Cecile ways more worried about Suzaku. "So Lloyd, what will happen to Suzaku?"

Lloyd sighed. "I'm afraid his fates are all but decided. It's a shame, he was the best pilot we're ever going to get. We've lost the most crucial part of the equation."

Cecile looked at him. "Then tell them that, maybe they'll let Suzaku go!"

Lloyd looked at her. "Don't you think I've already tried? The court has deemed our testimony about him piloting the Lancelot at the time invalid. The purist faction is dead set on using this to eliminate the honorary Britannian system, and the court has already decided what happened and they don't want anyone to screw up their perfect little scenario. It would take a miracle to spare our pilot's execution. Let's face it, the only thing we can do is cut our losses. We've lost our pilot to the purist factions greed."

Cecile seemed to begrudgingly accept this. "So what do we do? Just get a new pilot and forget about him?"

Lloyd sighed again. "The other units never let go of a good pilot. And even if we got one, he'd never match his ability. His compatibility clocked in at 94% and you want to replace him? This is a huge setback for our entire project. I've even tried to get prince Schneizel's help in this, but that stupid Kewel Soresi caught me and disrupted the contact with the homeland. Even if our sponsor tries to help, it won't be in time to save him. And prince Clovis is on painkillers and won't be able to testify for a while. The purist faction has planned this very carefully."

Cecile was amazed Lloyd had tried to do so much for Suzaku. "I didn't know you liked Suzaku that much."

Lloyd seemed surprised. "Who said anything about like? Do you have any idea how much more data we could get if he was piloting it? We might have even been able to fix those glitches in our first prototype."

Cecile looked at him. "I should have known. And you really think we could get the Club to work?"

Lloyd shook his head. "Not without him. And Schneizel wants to see all of the Knights of Rounds in seventh generations. That will take a while. We need to gather data with the Lancelot before we can do anything else, and even with his help, it would take more than a year and more than a few scientific breakthroughs to get our grand task done. Without him, it could take more than a decade! A normal pilot can't even move the Lancelot, so without him, gathering data will be like studying a hibernating squirrel. Oh, I hate the purist faction! What wouldn't I give if they got involved in some huge scandal."

Cecile nodded. "Especially if that scandal saves poor Suzaku."

-0-

Kallen and a few others were at Tokyo Tower. They had decided that Kallen would be out in the open while the others would keep a lookout for any traps. But nothing seemed suspicious so far. They were getting certain that Kururugi had not been the caller, or they would have been arrested by now, but where was the caller? They were all getting tired of having to listen to the propaganda coming from the speakers. Did he get cold feet and decided to cancel their meeting?

'If so, it would have been nice to inform us.' Kallen thought. 'Or did he notice I'm not alone and sees that as me breaking the rules? That might be it, he didn't expect the others and is revising his strategy. But they came before I did, so he shouldn't have noticed them. Maybe he thinks they're spies and decided it was smarter not to appear. After he found our frequencies on the back of the communicator, he must think we're complete amateurs. And I don't blame him, we did some stupid things in Shinjuku and before. I can't believe we called each other by our real names what were we thinking? We were practically inviting the Britannians to find us. But maybe...' Her thoughts were interrupted when a voice blared through the speakers.

"Attention please. Paging miss Kallen Stadtfeld from Ashford academy, your personal belonging has been turned in at the kiosk on the observation deck." Kallen looked up.

'So our mysterious voice has decided to be careful. That object is probably a clue to our real meeting place.' She saw that Ohgi and the others were following her as she went to the kiosk.

To her surprise, they handed her a phone. Well, it seems she underestimated the voice yet again. She noticed a call and looked at the caller ID, but it simply said Zero. A glance to the side told her that the others were playing the role of perfect, submissive Elevens to anyone who looked their way. She answered the call.

"Hello?" Then the voice spoke.

"I want you to board the outbound train on loop-line 5 and bring your friends."

Kallen was surprised, to say the least. "What?" But the voice had already hung up. What was going on? The voice had told her to come alone, and she did, at least that's what everyone here should have seen. The others had kept a distance and avoided glances. They had arrived fifteen minutes before her, for crying out loud. The only way the voice would know of them... would be if he knew she wouldn't be alone right from the start! That guy had never expected her to keep her end of the bargain. The question was, was this good or bad? Would he see this as a sign of wariness and not think of them as amateurs, or would he think they could not be trusted? There was only one way to find out.

-0-

Meanwhile, the reporter Diethard Ried had been called to the now acting consul, Jeremiah Gottwald. Diethard found this man equally boring to everyone else in his world. Now he was listening to what he considered ranting.

"You've handled the funerals of our factions deceased leaders very well, it was like you were expecting them to die."

Diethard immediately killed all suspicions before they had a chance to grow. "It not unusual for funerals to be prepared in advance for important people."

Jeremiah raised a brow in interest. "Am I on that list as well?"

Diethard could hardly suppress a snort. "Recent events may have bumped you up the list a little." He then replied vaguely.

Jeremiah understood. "I wasn't deemed important enough until now, huh? No matter, there's something else I would like your help with. Tomorrow evening Suzaku Kururugi will be brought, or rather paraded to his court martial."

Diethard understood immediately. It was a usual tactic for such events. He felt the urge to roll his eyes. "We should line the streets with good, patriotic Britannians."

Jeremiah smiled and nodded. "Good, you catch on quickly."

But apparently, the woman beside him, Violet or something like that, Diethard had forgotten her name, had some worries. "Lord Jeremiah, there are many amongst the Elevens who see Suzaku Kururugi as a hero and some might try to rescue him."

While Jeremiah was secretly not entirely against that idea, he knew what was expected right now. "I'll be there in my Sutherland to prevent that. If anyone tries to play savior, they'll be executed on the spot."

-0-

On the train, Kallen received another call.

"Face forward and look to your right. What do you see?" Kallen looked out the window and saw the settlement.

"The Britannian city. It was stolen away from us and built upon our sacrifice. I see the capital of corruption and the crown of our oppressors in Japan."

The voice's reply was short. "And on the left?"

A glance told her the answer. "I see our city. Remnants of a desiccated city after the Britannians sucked it dry. I see the cage in which the invaders have imprisoned those who owned what they stole." She could practically hear him smirk.

"Good answer. Now make your way to the front of the train."

To their surprise, when they arrived at the first car, they found empty. Only one person in a cape was there, showing them his back.

Kallen became impatient. "Was it you? Was that ceasefire your doing?" But the man didn't reply.

Sugiyama lost patience. "Hey, we're talking to you!"

The figure turned around and instantly, all lights dimmed. Kallen quickly realized the train had entered a tunnel, but still, the effect was impressive. Even more since where his face should be, they were staring at a purple orb. He was wearing a helmet-like mask. Then he spoke.

"What did you think of my tour?" They were surprised at that statement and doubts if the man was in his right mind, then he continued. "I wanted you to fully grasp the two. The settlement" He raised his left arm. "and the ghetto." The right arm rose.

Ohgi spoke. "Yeah, we know. There's a difference between us and them, a very harsh one. And that's why we resist them."

"You're wrong!" the masked man called. "Britannia will not fall to terrorism. It's hardly better than childish nuisance."

While Kallen and Ohgi remained still, the other two jumped up. "What was that?" "Are you calling us a bunch of kids?"

The man shook his head. "No, I am simply stating the pointlessness of what you're doing right now. Tell me, what do you hope to achieve by your actions?"

Kallen glared at him. "To free Japan, what else?"

The masked figure, Zero (?) looked right at her. "And do you truly believe that your actions will free Japan?"

That left Kallen and the others speechless. He was right, their actions hadn't brought Japan one step closer to it's freedom. On the contrary, their last act had cost the lives of many Japanese.

Zero spoke again. "You must know your enemy. It's not people, but Britannia itself. It is a war that must be waged, but not on the innocent. Take up your swords and fight for justice!"

Kallen suddenly felt the need to defend herself. "Oh please that's all easy enough to say, isn't it? Hiding behind that mask, why should we even trust you? You talk of fighting Britannia, but you spared one of their princes, or am I wrong?"

While the others agreed, Ohgi seemed uncomfortable "Kallen, you heard the news, those advisers stopped him." Then they heard him laugh.

"Those walking corpses? Stopping me? They were dead before I even entered the command center and made Clovis call of the massacre. As to why I spared him, you should know best, Kallen Kozuki, or is it Kallen Stadtfeld?" When he saw her face twist in anger, he continued. "I know you're a half-blood, but let me ask you this: Did you choose your parents?"

Kallen ground her teeth. "Of course not!"

Zero tilted his head. "And do you think Clovis did?" That left everyone in a surprised shock. "Why should I care about the puppet when I already killed the ones that pulled the strings? Well, most of them anyway, one of them is a coward that ran away when you collapsed the ground beneath their army's feet. Not that the others weren't cowards. Clovis on the other hand, is a good man that's too weak to say no. He was more than willing to call of the massacre and he took the punishment for something that he didn't cause because he failed to stop it. I advised him to retire, since I will not spare him again."

The others had grown silent at these revelations, then Sugiyama spoke. "That sounds great, but all we have is your word. Loose the mask, then we might trust you." The others mumbled in agreement.

Zero nodded. "Very well. But rather than my face, bear witness to my power. If I deliver to you the impossible, then I might have earned your trust." Behind his mask, Lelouch was smiling. This was going better than he hoped. He could see that Kallen and the leader were ready to help. He explained what he would do and where those who wanted to help should meet him.

-0-

Lloyd had come to visit Suzaku. He smiled at him. "Congratulations. Those two you asked me about weren't on the list of casualties."

Suzaku sighed in relief. That was good news.

Then Lloyd continued. "Not much luck on your end, though. You may be getting a trial, but no one is pulling for you, except maybe Cecile and myself, but there's nothing we can do."

Suzaku was a bit confused. "But the court is where truth comes to light."

Lloyd looked exhausted. "I expect there'll be more smoke and mirrors than anything. The truth is obsolete here."

Suzaku's face hardened. "If that's how the world works, then so be it. I have no regrets."

-0-

Lelouch smiled in anticipation. It was time. He had gotten his two helpers, Kallen in a white suit pretending to be the driver of Clovis's transport and the other man, Ohgi, in an MR-1 he had _borrowed_, ready to aid the escape. The container was stored in the fake transport, and it was time to start.

Meanwhile, Jeremiah received the message that prince Clovis's transport was on its way to them. Had the prince already recovered? He stopped the entire convoy and tried to get confirmation. What he got was not what he'd expected. Prince Clovis was still in the hospital. He looked at the car driving towards them.

"You dare take his highness's transport? Come out of there!" And his wish was granted as the Britannian flag that covered the front of the transport burned away in seconds, like it was soaked in gasoline. A figure in a mask and a cape wrapped around him stepped forwards.

"I am Zero!" He called.

A few moments passed, everyone caught in their own thoughts as the news reporter blabbered into his microphone. Diethard felt a hint of excitement. This could be interesting.

Jeremiah straitened up. "I've seen enough, Zero. This little show of yours is over." He shot in the air and four Sutherlands dropped from the sky and surrounded the transport. The driver looked scared, but Zero didn't even flinch as the wind blew his cape back. Lelouch silently thanked god that he had the stupid suit replaced and listened to Jeremiah demanding that he removed his mask. He raised his hand to his face as if to obey, then he raised it above his head and snipped. He had counted the seconds since the flag had burned, knowing the parts of the roof where held together by a special glue mixed with gunpowder and a few other things. It would take exactly 56 seconds before the connections of the capsule's cover were burnt through and a small pile of gunpowder would blow up inside, increasing the internal pressure and practically ripping the cover apart. It worked perfectly.

Jeremiah gasped. "What in the...?"

Viletta jumped up. "Be careful Lord Jeremiah, that's..."

Lelouch smiled. 'Yes Jeremiah,' He thought 'you never saw inside this thing so you assume it holds poison gas.'

Suzaku tried to speak, but the shock-collar around his neck quickly put and end to that. Jeremiah glared at Zero and muttered. "You bastard! He's taken every Britannian here hostage. And he's done it without them even knowing it!"

-0-

Back in Ashford academy, V.V. was watching the news with interest. Suddenly, he looked up and started talking, even though nobody was there.

"Well this is a surprise. C.C., how nice of you to contact me. Unfortunately, I lack your centuries of experience so I still can't really get in contact with you on my own. But why are you 'calling' me?"  
…

"Yes, the one on TV is one of mine, right now he's actually my only one."  
…

"Don't ask."  
…

"He has a certain flare for the dramatic, yes. Though I would say he knows how to put on a good show."  
…

"Oh, he is the child of one of your contractors. He's a cast-away prince, just to give you a hint."  
…

"Yes, he's Marianne's child. Wait, are you in the crowd?"  
…

"Didn't think so. Are you in Area 11?"  
…

"You are? Well that's a surprise, I thought you'd at least be in Russia by now."  
…

"What? Oh, the capsule? The military thinks it holds poison gas, but in reality, Charles locked me in that thing."  
…

"Yes, he betrayed me. I thought I told you to stop asking, it's a sore subject. How is that mind-reader of yours doing?"  
…

"What do you mean, you dumped him?"  
…

"What? That just makes him even more dangerous! He has the mindset of a child, combined with the danger of an out-of-control Geass-user. The guy's a walking time-bomb, and you let him loose? Just great, like I don't have enough problems already."  
…

"What? Well that sounds interesting. What's the catch?"  
…

"Come on, that's nearly impossible!"  
…

"Fine, but I'll help."  
…

"Yeah, yeah, goodbye to you as well." V.V. sighed. Then he muttered "That could be interesting" and turned his attention back to the TV, where Lelouch had already made his demands and revealed himself as the true culprit. Maybe V.V. could have a chat with Nunnally when this was over, he wanted to talk to her for a while now, and this seemed like the perfect chance.

-0-

Zero continued to to talk right into the camera a grinning Diethard was pointing at his face. "For a single Eleven, you'll save scores of precious Britannians. I find that to be a bargain."

Diethard's grin widened. 'This is all one big performance to him. And this show is the best I've ever seen' He thought to himself. This Zero fascinated him.

Jeremiah lost his temper. "He's mad I tell you! Disguising this truck as his highness's, he'll pay the price for mocking the crown!" If this man spoke the truth, and Jeremiah was certain he did, he could punish the one who injured a member of the royal family much faster then he thought.

As the Sutherlands prepared to shoot, Zero spoke yet again. "Careful, you don't want the public to learn of Orange, do you? If I die, it will all go public." He tapped on the roof and Kallen slowly drove a bit closer to Jeremiah and into the planned position. "If you don't want that to happen..." Lelouch activated his Geass "...You'll do everything within your power to let us go. Your prisoner as well." Lelouch grinned as Jeremiah faltered under his Geass. The rest was history and Jeremiah released Suzaku to Zero. Then Kallen, who had left the truck, spoke.

"It's time to go Zero." He nodded.

"Well then, until next time." With that, he pressed a button and the capsule released its content, colored smoke while he grabbed Suzaku and jumped over the side of the bridge with him and Kallen, Ohgi had activated the MR-1 and shot a special sheet that broke their fall enough to let them land softly inside of a train that brought them back to the ghetto. While some of the purists caused trouble, Jeremiah acted wonderfully to avoid any real disturbances. Now all that was left was to have a chat with Suzaku.

-0-

Lloyd was jumping with joy. "This is wonderful! Zero has taken the blame, so Kururugi is off the hook and even better, with this Orange story, the reputation of the purist faction is in shambles. And if we add the fact that the purist faction attempted to isolate Area 11, they could just as well disband."

Even Cecile smiled. "Yes, it seems Suzaku is safe for now, but won't he be labeled a terrorist if this goes on?"

Lloyd grinned. "Not necessarily. He was more or less kidnapped, so if he doesn't do anything against Britannia, he's not a traitor. And did you notice that all my wishes regarding the Lancelot and its pilot are coming true? I wish he would get out of this Scott-free."

Cecile shrugged. "It worked twice, so that should be the last of your three wishes. Don't be too disappointed if this one or your future wishes don't come true."

"Yes yes," Lloyd muttered "But it looks like things are about to get interesting."

* * *

Okay, Chapter 6 is done. I got into a writing rush when I wrote this, my usual chapter length is around 4000 words, so please don't expect every chapter to be this long.

I don't intend to use Henry much, this just might be his only real appearance. I made up his name on the spot, no real meaning behind it. And we all know V.V. wasn't talking to himself, so I won't even go there. He will soon take a more active role, I think it'll start next chapter. I tried to add more original stuff, since the main story is still pretty close to the series, that will soon change (I hope). I try to add original stuff when I use 'real' scenes, hope I'm doing okay.

As for the capsule and its disguise, and Lelouch's Zero-outfit, I am the type who likes to have reasons for things happening. I want there to be a reason why he calls himself Zero, in most fics I read so far, he just starts calling himself that at some point. And I like to use things that haven't been used a hundred times already, like he or someone else pushes the button and the roof of the transport just falls apart. Oh and yes, I actually counted the seconds from the flag burning to the roof falling apart.

At this point, I ask my usual questions. How did you like it? what can I do better? Am I keeping everyone at least somewhat in character? And one concerning what I wrote above: Do you like those ideas?

And to those who read my DGM story, I'll update soon. I have to rewrite the chapter, what I wrote is crap (That'll teach me to write during working breaks).

I hope I'll get more than 2 reviews for this chapter, I really worked hard to get it done.

Only thing left to do for you at this point:

Please Review


	7. The End of the Beginning

Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own CG

* * *

The train had reached the ghetto and Kallen and Ohgi reunited with the other resistance members while Zero took Suzaku into an abandoned building that had once been a theater or a cinema. The entire resistance was discussing what had happened.

"This is crazy!" Tamaki shouted "How often can a bluff like that work? I mean, if someone actually shot the thing, the whole thing would've been uncovered and you all would have been dead before you could say the word 'crap'!"

"Yes," Kallen muttered "but nobody there was stupid enough to shoot into something that everyone thinks holds poison gas, they would have to take the full blame for every death that would occur. And if it really had contained poison gas, it would have killed hundreds of Britannians, so whoever would have to take the blame would be executed, and I doubt anyone wanted to risk that. Only an idiot would shoot at something like that, someone too dumb to realize the danger."

Tamaki noticed the hardly hidden insult and seemed ready to shout, but Sugiyama spoke first. "And that was not his only ace, that Orange-thing must be pretty important to the purists if they let you all go to keep it under wraps."

"But it makes you wonder," Minami pondered "what was so important? What is Orange? Something tells me Zero won't be giving us an answer."

"The guy has a major screw loose!" Tamaki shouted "There are at least a million things that could've gone wrong!"

"You got to give the guy some credit though." Ohgi stated in what almost seemed like a monologue "No one else could have pulled this off. Not the Japanese Liberation Front, and certainly not me. We always assumed all-out war against Britannia wasn't an option, but maybe with him, it is. I mean, this is the second time he has completely outmaneuvered Britannia."

"Yeah," Tamaki said "And as a result, they're probably gonna send someone here that is way more dangerous than Clovis or Gottwald. What do we do when seasoned veterans or the Knights of Rounds arrive? That would be the end of us, and Japan's future wouldn't look too bright either."

Kallen seemed very calm. "Why should the emperor send his best men here? This is already conquered land to him. The Rounds are used to protect him and conquer new lands for him, he wouldn't send them here. Remember when Area 5 had that giant revolt? Britannia's rule there was almost broken, the country had already taken its old name back and the Rounds didn't go there, only normal soldiers came there. I'll admit, they were under the command of prince Schneizel, who happened to be in the area at the time. He's one of the best strategists Britannia's ever had, but he's Prime Minister, so the chance that he'll take Clovis's job should the guy resign is zero. He'll be in Britannia and he'll come for a short visit at worst, so we should be okay."

"But seriously, this Zero is incredible, he does things we all considered impossible, so who knows." Someone muttered, but no one knew who had spoken out what had gone through everyone's mind at least once.

-0-

Meanwhile, Zero had managed to remove the electroshock-silencer Suzaku had been forced to wear.

"I see they treated you rather roughly." Zero stated "Now you know what they're really like, private Kururugi. Britannia is rotten. If you wish to change it, then join me."

Suzaku looked at him, his eyes filled with disapproval. "So is it true? Are you the one that shot prince Clovis and killed his advisers?"

"This is war." Zero replied "I was already lenient to the point of stupidity when I spared an enemy commander, do you really expect that I would let those who caused a massacre just for the joy of it walk away? Let me tell you one thing, Suzaku Kururugi, if justice existed in this rotten and corrupted world, then those men and not you would have been paraded to the courthouse and I can assure you they would have faced a firing squad. But that would not have happened. Lady Justice has taken a vacation and Britannia won't let her back into the country. These people were rich and they belonged to the nobility, they would not have faced punishment, this might have even gotten them a promotion instead. Had I not intervened in Shinjuku, then there would not have been a single survivor. Perhaps you missed it, but the order was to leave no one alive. Women, children and the elderly were slaughtered there for no reason. Remain in the military and rise in the ranks as you've likely planned and you will one day receive the order to fight people protecting their homes from the plague that is Britannia. Continue to walk the path of a Britannian soldier and at the end you will find mountains of corpses, slain by your hand. If you remain a soldier, how long will it take until your hands are stained in the blood of innocent who were at the wrong place, and the wrong time? Join me, and you will be fighting for freedom, not oppression."

"That was a nice speech, but you are ruthless." Suzaku replied "What about the gas? Those were civilians out there!"

"A bluff," Zero answered "To help things along. The result, not a single life has been lost, including yours."

"The result?" Suzaku's mood seemed to darken. "That's all that matters to you I suppose."

"Come join me." Zero offered, holding out his hand. "The Britannia you serve is a worthless dominion that conquers nations to satisfy their greed and lust for battle."

Suzaku seemed to think, but then he replied. "That may be true, but this nation can be changed for the better, and from within. I will help Japan, but I'll do it the right way. And any ends gained through contemptible means aren't worth anything." Wit that, he turned to a broken wall, apparently intending to leave without passing the resistance members that were still talking at the main exit.

"Wait, where are you going?" Zero called.

Suzaku didn't turn around. "My court martial begins in an hour."

Zero was sure he had misheard him, but Suzaku seemed serious. "Are you mad?" Zero called out in disbelief "The only reason they're giving you a trial is to find you guilty! The judge, the prosecution and defense! Nobody cares if you're guilty or not, you're a scapegoat that serves their goals."

"Rules are rules. And if I don't go, they'll start cracking down on Elevens, and honorary Britannians, and I won't let that happen." Suzaku's reply came immediately and without a moment's hesitation.

Zero seemed to be getting desperate. "But you'll die!"

Suzaku shrugged. "I don't mind."

Behind his mask, Lelouch was getting agitated. This idiot was destroying all he had worked for. If this went on and Suzaku was executed, he'd have failed his sister, himself and and his best friend. "Don't be an idiot!" He hissed.

That actually got Suzaku to stop. "An old friend of mine always used to tell me that, he'd say I was a fool. It's my weakness, I guess, I've always been like this." He looked at Zero. "I'd try to bring you in, but you'd just end up killing me. And if I die, it will be in the service of the people. Still, I thank you, for rescuing me." with that, he continued walking and eventually vanished through the hole.

Zero stared after him, then he slumped together and leaned on some debris, his legs feeling to weak to support his body. 'You idiot!' He thought, slamming his fist against the debris in frustration. He immediately regretted that, as a sharp pain shot through his arm.

Lelouch knew that with Zero's 'confession' and the Orange story, Suzaku's chances of getting out of this unscathed were very good, but what he had said before would come true. If Suzaku rose up in the ranks of the military, he would eventually be forced to kill innocent people, both his countrymen and others trying to keep Britannia from descending on their homes like a swarm of locusts.

"Any end gained through contemptible means are worthless? You're wrong Suzaku, what's truly worthless is staying on a just path but never getting any results." He muttered "The end can justify the measures taken to reach it, and your path will only lead into a dead end. That man would never let go of something he has in his grasp until he sees it as worthless, and Japan will only be discarded once it's Sakuradite reserves run dry. And even if that happens, he still would never return a conquered country's independence. I only hope you will realize this before it's too late, Suzaku." Lelouch suddenly felt very tired.

-0-

Nunnally was listening to the news with mixed feelings. Suzaku being freed was good, and him still arriving at the court-martial was good as well, especially since the reporter said that there now was a good chance that Suzaku would be deemed innocent. Then she noticed there was someone behind her.

"Who is there? Is that you, Miss Sayoko?" Nunnally asked.

She heard a small laugh. Then she heard a voice, it sounded like a little boy's. "No Nunnally, I am not Miss Sayoko. You may call me V.V. and I am a friend of your brother."

Nunnally relaxed. The boy sounded like he meant no harm, and Nunnally was pretty good at judging people. Without even realizing it, most people became more open when they were talking to a disabled person, especially if he, or in this case she, was blind. They somehow assumed because she couldn't see them, there was no need to be as cautious as usual. While they wouldn't necessarily tell her their secrets, they didn't hide their emotions as much.

"So, you are a friend of my brother? It's nice to meet you, Mister V.V." She made a small bow in the direction the voice was coming from.

"Simply V.V. is fine. No need for the Mister. And yes, I believe that I'm a rather important friend of your brother, Nunnally vi Britannia."

At those words, Nunnally felt afraid, but her voice was calm. "Are you here to take us back? And is my brother really alright or did you capture him?"

V.V. nodded, even though Nunnally couldn't see him. "I guess it's natural that you think that way, but you don't have to worry. Your secret is safe with me, no one will find out who you are from me. And your brother had some things to do, he'll be home soon. Though he is rather impolite, there are some things I wanted to discuss with him for a while, and he keeps ditching me."

Nunnally laughed. "Yes, that sounds just like my brother. And I believe you, but how did you find out who we were?"

Now it was V.V.'s turn to laugh. "Let's just say that I love to collect information and when I met your brother, I immediately recognized him. He saved me out of a... well, a _bind_ and it's best I keep a low profile for a while, things could get ugly if certain people found out I was here. So, it's a fair deal, I won't tell on him and he won't tell on me."

Nunnally tilted her head in confusion. "My brother helped you out of a bind? Did it have anything to do with his illegal gambling?"

V.V. didn't know anything about any illegal gambling, but he decided to play informed. "You knew about that?"

Nunnally nodded. "He never told me anything, but Shirley did and together we questioned Rivalz. He quickly told us and we made him promise to keep Lelouch away from the illegal matches, but I was always sure that they still went to them. So, is there a noble after you?"

"You could say that, and a very important one too." V.V. sighed, his voice bitter. "And unfortunately he a lot of some control over the police and the military, so there's no use going there. Worst of all, he had my complete trust and he betrayed it."

"And my brother can help you?" Nunnally asked. She liked V.V., who seemed similar to her brother. He gave her a similar feeling, caring yet bit cold at the same time. Nunnally knew there was something bothering her brother, but he wouldn't tell her. Maybe it had something to do with this boy.

"Yes, I believe he can, and of course he gets my help in return, it's give and take. But maybe there's a more comfortable place we can talk?"

Nunnally nodded. "Of course there is. We can go down to the dining room, Miss Sayoko can make us tea."

V.V. considered this for a second. That would mean someone would see him in these clothes. But that Sayoko sounded reliable and Nunnally would keep her from calling the cops. 'Lelouch would not be happy if he saw me, his little secret, talking to his sister. If he heard that this Sayoko knew of me as well, he would have a fit.' He thought. Then a wide grin started to cover his face.

"Yes, that sounds nice. Let's go, I could use a cup of tea right now."

-0-

When Sayoko went upstairs, she was surprised to see a young boy alongside Nunnally. What immediately caught her suspicion was that the boy was wearing a Britannian straitjacket, although this one was still open and didn't restrict his movements. For a moment, she and the boy simply looked at each other, though the correct description would be analyzing the threat the other one posed. Sayoko slowly reached for one of her knives. The boy noticed this and slightly shifted his weight to be able to react quicker. Before the situation could escalate, Nunnally spoke.

"Miss Sayoko, this is V.V., a friend of my brother. Could you please make us some tea?"

Sayoko's hand pulled back from her knives and she smiled. The boy, V.V., relaxed as well.

"Of course, Lady Nunnally, shall I bring it to the dining room?" She asked.

Nunnally nodded. "Yes please, and thank you Miss Sayoko, you're a huge help."

Sayoko bowed, a kind smile still on her face. "It's my pleasure, Lady Nunnally." With that, she turned and vanished into the kitchen.

V.V. turned his attention back to Nunnally. "So, tell me about you and Lelouch. How is he now, and how was he as a child?"

Nunnally giggled and started to answer these questions, dwelling in memories.

-0-

Lelouch had managed to get a grip and decided to use the same way to exit. When Kallen and the others went to look, the room was deserted.

"Okay, even though getting out of here is not that hard, the guy could've given us a a call that we could go." Ohgi said.

"See, you can't trust the guy, he obviously has secrets." Tamaki shouted, only to be interrupted by Kallen.

"Don't we all? And besides, he probably just wants to keep his identity a secret. Let's be honest, had he told us he was leaving, we would have tailed him for sure. But I wonder what he and Kururugi were discussing."

Ohgi sighed. "Well, I guess we can't do anything right now, so let's call it a day and go home."

Everyone muttered in agreement and packed their stuff. Kallen wondered if she would ever see that man again. Then she remembered something. 'Lelouch was the one who picked up the phone, maybe he can help me find the caller! It's the least he can do after that embarrassing event in the bathroom.' Kallen blushed at the memory.

"You okay Kallen? You're face is red." Ohgi asked.

Kallen looked up. "What? No, I'm fine. I'll call you soon." With that, she ran off, her face as red as her hair.

Ohgi looked her disappear in the darkness. "Well that was weird." He muttered.

-0-

Lelouch had grabbed a bite to eat on his way back, before reentering Ashford academy and hiding his costume, directly after, he headed to the dining room, where he had seen lights and heard Nunnally's voice, probably talking to Sayoko. When he opened the door, his heart skipped a beat. It wasn't Sayoko, instead, V.V. was sitting next to his sister, folding origami cranes. He looked at Lelouch, a small grin on his face.

"Welcome back, Lelouch. From the looks of it, you have eaten out tonight. By the way, there are some crumbs in the corner of your mouth."

Nunnally started to giggle. "You shouldn't eat in a hurry, you know that food always sticks to your face if you do. But I think you were right to hurry back, your friend V.V. has been waiting here for hours. I mean, it was nice of you to help him out of trouble, but you should take better care of someone who knows such important secrets. He seems nice though, do you think I could have chat with him another time?"

"V.V.," Lelouch growled, his voice dangerously friendly. "do you think we could have a little talk, in private?"

V.V. shrugged. "Sure, why not. Good night Nunnally, and I'm sure we can find some time for another talk eventually."

Nunnally smiled. "Yes, that would be nice. Good night to you too, I'm going to bed."

Lelouch's gaze, which had been piercing enough to cut through a steel plate, softened. "I'll tuck you in, Nunnally. V.V., could you wait in my room for a minute?"

Another shrug. "Why not, I have _all_ the time in the world." Lelouch noticed the slight mockery in his accomplice's tone, but decided to ignore it for now.

-0-

After he had said goodnight to his sister, Lelouch ran into Sayoko. He intended to walk past her with a smile, but he froze when he heard her speak.

"I don't really like that boy, Master Lelouch, there's more to him than meets the eye."

Lelouch was in shock. She had seen him? Nunnally knowing of his existence was bad enough, but unlike Nunnally, Sayoko had seen V.V. was wearing prison clothing. He needed an excuse, and fast. But first, Lelouch had to know how much she knew. He had already used his Geass on her, so just making her forget about V.V. was out of the question.

"What makes you say that?" Lelouch asked.

"He seems familiar with combat, and his eyes can become very emotionless." Sayoko answered.

Lelouch raised a brow. "And you can tell that because...?"

Sayoko seemed confused for a second, then she started to talk rather quickly, Lelouch had problems understanding her. "I once knew a professional soldier, and he carried himself the same way and his eyes had the same look when he talked about war. He was a good man, but sadly, he died a few years ago because of..."

Lelouch interrupted her. "I get it, I get it. Well, he can fend for himself I'm sure, but don't worry, he won't do anything to endanger me or my sister. Is there something else bothering you, Sayoko?"

The maid nodded, seemingly relieved about something. "Yes there is, why is the boy wearing a straitjacket?"

Now it was Lelouch's turn to stutter. Nunnally had said something about him helping V.V. out of trouble, and the most likely cause for trouble was... "He and a influential Britannian noble had a little... conflict and he needs to stay low for a while. The noble had him put in that, but he managed to sneak of and we kinda bumped into each other. It's a long story, I'll tell you another time, is that alright?"

Sayoko nodded. "Yes, that would be all i wished to ask. Have pleasant dreams, Master Lelouch."

"Thanks, to you as well." He called and headed towards his room. "Pleasant dreams? Don't I wish, I'm about to face a nightmare right now." He muttered.

-0-

V.V. was laying on his bed, waiting patiently. When the door opened, he looked up. "What took you so long? If that short distance from your sister's room to here to you so long, then your physical constitution must be even worse than I thought."

Lelouch was obviously not in the mood for jokes. "Shut up! I ran into Sayoko and had to explain what you were doing here and why you were wearing a straitjacket."

For the first time, V.V. looked uncomfortable for a moment, then he regained his pokerface. "Well, that was not planned, she just appeared out of nowhere. But since you somehow managed to explain it, there's no problem. More importantly, how about..."

Lelouch interrupted him. "Yes there is a problem, don't let people see you! And, _more importantly,_" He mimicked V.V.'s tone, before turning dead serious "did you give Nunnally a Geass?"

V.V. seemed honestly surprised. "What?"

"You heard me. Did you or did you not make a contract with my sister?"

V.V. sighed. "No, I did not make a contract with Nunnally. There, happy now? But really, you seem in an awful mood. From what I saw on TV, you should be jumping in joy."

Lelouch relaxed and dropped into a chair. "Yes, the rescue went well, the problem is the discussion that came after that. I had hoped Suzaku would join me, but..."

"But instead, he ditched you and even went to his court martial." V.V. finished. "It was on the news, the part with the court at least, but the rest was an easy guess." He added when he saw the surprise in Lelouch's face.

"Yes, he said that ends gained through _contemptible_ means aren't worth anything." Lelouch stated, putting a sarcastic tone in the word 'contemptible'.

A short snort was V.V.'s reply to that. "That's a good one, he should tell that to the Britannian emperor. He conquered Japan with brute force, a prime example of a contemptible mean, and in the end, he gained 70% of the world's Sakuradite. I would say that's worth a lot. Your friend is an idealist on the road to self-destruction, at least as a soldier. With that thinking there are few paths his future can take. He will either change, break, or die."

Lelouch nodded. "I know, but Suzaku doesn't realize that yet, he said he wanted to change the nation for the better from within."

V.V. shook his head. "You're friend should be a comedian, that's one of the funniest things I've ever heard. Better, more influential and more charismatic men have tried and failed. Charles zi Britannia's policies are centered on strength, and before that strength is broken, Britannia will never change. If that's a good thing or a bad thing is a decision everyone must make for himself."

"If you thought that was funny, wait 'till you hear this. He said he would help Japan _the right way_."

That caused V.V. to grasp his forehead. "Your friend' naivety is beyond hope or help. War isn't about who is _right_, it's about who is _left_."

Lelouch nodded. "I know, but that idiot doesn't seem to realize it. And now please leave me alone, I need rest."

That was not what V.V. wanted to hear. "Wait, I want to talk with you about..."

"Whatever it is, it can wait." Lelouch stated.

V.V. knew he could do anything now and left. 'I think I know of a way to get that boy to listen to me. It's a cheap-shot, but we both agreed that the end justify the actions taken to reach it.' Lelouch would not like what he would see tomorrow.

-0-

Lloyd looked at the news Cecile had brought up. With the last act that was just reported, seven incidents had followed Zero's appearance. "Not that I'm not happy about what happened to the purist faction and that they're no longer in command, but this whole Orange story completely screwed the relations between police and administration. That whole thing caused a fine mess for us as well, we can hardly request anything these days. On the bright side, we're getting our pilot back, the entire court martial has been reduced to a formality thanks to Zero's confession. Oh, what's that?" He pointed at a new pop-up.

Cecile called it up. "It seems that the second princess Cornelia li Britannia has successfully established Area 18. Lloyd isn't princess Cornelia the one who...?"

"Who will take over command as Viceroy now that Clovis has declared he will take a longer vacation from his duties to recover? Yes, that's her, but she hasn't officially resumed her post yet, so we still have more than enough time to pick up Suzaku before she calls for us. Although I've heard she collected information about the Shinjuku incident and already punished Bartley for his cowardice. His prized project is getting almost no cash, so research should be nearly impossible. Well, that's his problem, not ours. And less for him means more for us."

Cecile looked at the clock and was in shock. "We're late, Lloyd, we were supposed to be there by now! Hurry, stop standing around!"

Lloyd was a bit calmer, though he started moving as soon as he saw Cecile's glare, before she had a chance to start a lecture on manners and the importance of punctuality.

-0-

School had been rather uneventful for Lelouch and he sat down on a bench and went through reports on Suzaku, waiting for the official statement that he was found innocent and released, when a shadow fell on him. He looked up, and right into the blue eyes of Kallen. She looked at him.

"Lelouch, could you do me a favor?" She asked.

Lelouch was not sure what was going, but he didn't want to draw suspicion. "Sure, what is it?"

Kallen seemed uncomfortable. "Do you remember the phone call the other day?"

Lelouch was confused. She wasn't talking about the conversation at Tokyo Tower, was she? Lelouch was certain he had proven, at least in Kallen's eyes, that he was not Zero. "Call?" He asked, hoping for more information.

Kallen blushed. "You know, when you and I were in the bathroom." Lelouch suppressed a smirk and nodded. "I want to contact that person again. Could you find out what the caller ID was?" She finished.

Lelouch was relieved, but he put on a regretting face. "It was a school phone, so there's really no way to know who..."

Kallen didn't seem surprised. "Makes sense, I should have known. Well, thanks anyway."

"No prob..." Lelouch made a sound like he'd just been punched in the gut and looked behind Kallen. There, wearing his clothes that looked ridiculous on the small body, was V.V., waving at him. Most of the boy's hair seemed hidden in the clothes he was wearing, but Lelouch had bigger worries. He noticed Kallen was turning her head to see what he was staring at and jumped up and grabbed it. While signaling V.V. to leave, he realized that the distance between his and Kallen's face was less than one inch. He sent a silent prayer that no one saw them right now. V.V. vanished, and Lelouch relaxed.

"Um, what are you doing?" Kallen's voice brought him back to reality. For the first time in his life, he had no answer.

"What indeed?" He muttered, and released her head while turning to follow V.V. "Sorry, I have to go!" He shouted while making a dash for it.

-0-

Meanwhile, Bartley was biting his lip. Why did the emperor have to send Cornelia of all people? Not only was that woman strong-willed and impossible to manipulate or bribe, she was out for his blood. She had apparently not taken the news of him deserting prince Clovis, which had resulted in his injury, very well. Her first action was to threaten a nobleman with her weapon and insulting them as sloppy, senile and corrupt. While Bartley knew it was all true, he couldn't understand what problem princess Cornelia could have with that. Her wrath sadly was not only directed at Zero, but at the entire nobility. Her first _official_ action was to cut the funding for his project to a minimum. Fortunately, he had been smart enough to set enough aside from when he had access to ridiculous amounts of funding, so their research could go on without a hitch.

But the thing Bartley was really thankful for was that he'd transferred the entire project to Narita. Had princess Cornelia even caught a glimpse of what they were planning and had been doing, she would have shut down the project and most likely executed them all before someone could intervene. Ever since her half-sister Nunnally vi Britannia had lost the ability to walk and see, Cornelia had been a friend to medical research and a sworn enemy to tampering with the human body.

On a different note, their research was doing fine, but he still needed a human guinea-pig to test out a few methods and perhaps find a way to reproduce the subject they had lost.

-0-

V.V. was already waiting for him. "Well well, looks like you can go fast if you want to." He mocked.

Lelouch was panting, but that didn't stop him from glaring at V.V. "What are you doing? The military is looking for you and you go parading yourself. Do you want to get caught?"

"The military is too busy solving their Orange problems and welcoming Clovis's replacement, so nobody will see me. Trust me, I have some experience at remaining unseen. By the way, the Orange idea was great, the military is in chaos, and the rebels that are reacting to your show aren't making it easier for them either."

Lelouch looked at them. "Yes, both were part of my plan, but how did you know I made Orange up? Don't say it, you already knew that there was no plan by that name, right?" When the boy nodded, Lelouch continued. "But why did you come out here? And you dare call _my_ outfit stupid? You look like you've been hit by a shrinking ray."

V.V. looked annoyed. "It was this or the prison clothes. The only thing my size were Nunnally's dresses and there's no chance in hell I'm wearing those. And I came out to finally get your attention."

"You got it now, I can assure you that, but why get it like this?"

"I tried it the polite way the last few days, but that didn't work, so I used this measure. And voila, I have your attention." V.V. replied, that slight grin still on his face.

Lelouch realized that V.V. had indeed tried to tell him something and he had always ignored it. Then he noticed something else. "What happened to your eyes? They're..."

"Blue?" V.V. asked. "Yes, I found these blue contacts on your table and what can I say, they fitted. The two of us have rather rare eye-colors and now mine draw less attention."

Lelouch had to agree, if V.V. had been wearing clothes that actually fitted, nobody would give him a second glance. Lelouch decided to get V.V.'s request done now before they strayed off-topic again, which would have led V.V. to pull anther stunt like this. "Okay, what do you want?" He asked.

V.V.'s answer surprised him. "Frankly, I'm tired of hiding in a closet whenever somebody comes. I want a identity that allows me to at least move freely here on this campus. Unfortunately, I'm not the type of immortal to just lie around hiding and watching what happens. If you wanted that, you should have contracted with C.C. and not me."

"First of all," Lelouch answered "I didn't exactly have a choice who to contract with, it was you or death. But it sounds like that C.C. would have been the perfect contractor."

V.V. grinned. "Nobody's perfect, not even immortals. She would stay in your room, most of the time anyway, but you wouldn't have gotten much information out of her. She most likely wouldn't have told you about your father's Geass or the Directorate before you found out yourself. And she has the gift to irritate people. She could annoy you even more than my taking shots at you."

Lelouch looked at V.V. "You know that what you're asking for is not easy, right?"

"Get it done, we both know you can. And I'm not asking for that much, all I want is to be able to go around campus and walk into the computer rooms."

Lelouch looked at his accomplice. "I have an idea that could work, but you would have to take classes as well."

V.V. seemed to weigh his options for a moment, then he nodded. "Very well, but I'll go to your class, there's no way in hell I'm boring myself to death in those little-kid-classes. Pass me off as a boy genius or something, but I'm in your grade."

Lelouch sighed. "That can be arranged, as long as you can prove that you know enough to go into that grade."

"Not a problem." V.V. immediately replied.

Lelouch nodded. "Well then, the discussion will start this evening, you should come as well. But in something that fits you. I'm sure that amongst the costumes, there was one that Nunnally wore at the cross-dressing festival, it looks like pretty much like what you're wearing now, only that it should actually fit you. You know were the costumes are, right?"

"Yes, I do, I've checked out the buildings a while ago. I'll be wanting a few details about this identity later, but for now I simply want to get out of this stuff. I'll be waiting in your room, unless you take too long, of course."

Lelouch sighed. "Alright, I'll tell you later." With that, they both went their way, preparing themselves for the evening. Lelouch really wasn't looking forward to this.

* * *

Chapter 7 is done. Thank you for reading. And I agree with MisterSP's comment on my third chapter, V.V. would never go into a class with little kids. And I think that unlike C.C., V.V. would never just sit around in hiding while all the action happens. Not that he'd directly enter combat unless there's no other option, but I think he'd at least want to know what's going on.

Anyone have a guess what identity Lelouch will arrange? I'm pretty sure someone will have the right answer, the readers are smart and the question not that hard. Sorry for the bad poem, I couldn't resist.

Here come my usual questions: How did you like this chapter and what can I do better?

I am curious about your thoughts in this chapter. Even though this chapter is a bit longer than usual, there wasn't much real action, more interaction. And I have prepared my second major change to the original story, after sparing prince Clovis. V.V. will get an identity and interact with the other Ashford students. Personally, I think that will be fun to write. Anyways, I'm looking forward to your opinions, even if its criticism. I can live with constructive criticism, flames will be ignored or deleted. I've done my job and I hope I've done it well, so now it's your turn.

Please Review


	8. Of students and paintings

Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own CG and I never will.

* * *

"Class, pay attention. We have a new student, who will be joining our classes starting today. I know he seems a bit young, but he is more than qualified for our grade. Meet Victor Vincent Ashford."

Whispering spread through the class like wildfire when a boy who seemed no older than twelve entered. But another reason for the mumbles was without a doubt his name. Was he related to their student council president Milly Ashford?

The teacher seemed to notice the chatter as well. "Class, quiet down. Victor, why don't you take the free seat next to Lelouch, that black-haired boy over there."

'Victor' nodded and took the seat next to his accomplice, Lelouch.

Lelouch smirked at him, and he asked himself how he got into this mess. Lelouch still couldn't believe what had happened to get the boy into his current position.

-0-

_Flashback: The last evening_

_Lelouch looked at his accomplice, wearing the same clothes Nunnally had worn on that accursed cross-dressers festival, eyes blue thanks to the contacts, his hair bound in a ponytail, the majority of it hidden in his clothes. "Why are you refusing a haircut? Your hair is a dead giveaway."_

_"I told you before, my hair only gets shortened when there is danger of me stepping on it and falling, and even then three inches at most." V.V. replied without looking up from the book he was reading._

_"Why are you so stubborn about that?" Lelouch asked._

_For a moment, V.V.'s eyes seemed to gaze into distant times. "There was a time where I wore my hair shorter, and that's how your father remembers me."_

_Lelouch felt there was something more to that story. "And?"_

_"Well, there once was someone who kept nagging about how I would look better, or rather cuter with my hair long. Needless to say she was rather annoying and I usually kept my hair short."_

_"What happened?" Lelouch asked, absolutely certain that nobody could convince V.V. to do something he didn't want to._

_And he was right. "She died. Call it my way of remembering. But enough about that," V.V. looked at Lelouch. "what's your plan?"_

_Lelouch sighed. "At first, I had planned to pass you off as a relative of mine, but nobody would buy that, seeing as we look nothing alike. There is someone who has your hair-color, now that you have those contacts she also has your eye-color, and most important of all, she's the one we would have to convince to get you into school anyways."_

_V.V. nodded. Even if blond was a rather common hair-color, neither Lelouch nor Nunnally had it and only an idiot wouldn't notice something was wrong. "And who would that be? Just so I know my new family."_

_"Don't count your chickens before they hatch, we first have to convince Milly to play along."_

_This caught the boys attention. "Milly? As in Milly Ashford, the queen of canceled wedding arrangements? I heard the last guy her parents wanted her to marry right in a pond, and nobody really figured out why. The poor guy before him was found in the ladies restroom, too drunk to even stand, and the one before that... let's just say it was not pretty. But back to topic, that Milly?"_

_Lelouch knew that Milly worked hard to ruin the arranged marriages, but he had no idea she was going that far. But for some reason, he wasn't surprised she'd do it, it seemed just like her. "Yes, she'll be here any minute, do you remember the cover-story?"_

_"Do you think I'm an idiot?" V.V. asked. A few seconds later, there was a knock at the door, before Milly Ashford jumped in._

_Lelouch looked at her. "You've finally learned to knock Milly, now we have to work on waiting 'till you hear someone calling 'come in'." He said, sarcasm dripping from his voice._

_Milly looked at him. "You called me here Lelouch, so you have no room to complain." She noticed V.V., who smiled at her._

_"Lelouch, who is that?" Sh asked._

_Lelouch sighed. "He's the reason I called you. I'm in a bit of a bind here, and I need your help."_

_V.V. decided to speed things up a little. "Do him the favor, it'll repay itself when he takes the throne. Of course, he'd have to beat his brother Schneizel first."_

_Milly stared at the boy, then at Lelouch. "He knows who you really are?"_

_Lelouch glared at the boy. "Obviously. You see Milly, the problem is that... a certain noble is after him and I offered him shelter, not that I had much of a choice since he recognized me. If he is caught, I land in front of the emperor and Nunnally will be used as a tool again." The last part sounded bitter._

_Milly nodded, signaling him to go on. Lelouch did. "Unfortunately, the brat is some sort of boy genius, and hiding all day does get boring. He asked if I could somehow get him to be able to walk around on campus, and maybe into my class, since grade-school would bore him to death."_

_Milly nodded. "Sounds reasonable, but what do you need me for? I'm sure you can fix up a identity for him."_

_Lelouch looked like wanted to be everywhere but here. "Yes, but this noble has some connections and will be looking out for little boys with no family suddenly popping up, so I'd have to integrate him into a family to keep him hidden. And the Lamperouge family falls apart when researched, seeing as it's only a cover."_

_Milly was starting to get the picture, her mind racing between the question if it was smart to agree, and the question what she could blackmail out of Lelouch if she did. This was worth a very big favor, and there were so many things she could do if Lelouch didn't use his veto-right as vice-president. "So to sum it up, you want me to say he is a member of the Ashford family, my cousin or something like that, right?"_

_Lelouch nodded. "If possible, we should exclude the brat" Lelouch enjoyed the way V.V. gave him an annoyed glare every time he referred to him as such "from P.E., seeing as he'd never keep up with us who are older." The real reason for that was that hiding that damned hair would be impossible otherwise._

_Milly raised her hand. "I'm sure he could keep up with you, anyone can." V.V. snickered. "But first I have to know if he can really go to our grade. I can convince my grandfather, but I won't if I don't know if he can take it." She took out some of her homework and gave it to V.V., seeing if he could answer a few questions she had left out._

_V.V. looked at it before taking a pen and answering the questions, even correcting some math problems that Milly had answered wrongly. After ten minutes, he handed it back to her. Milly looked it over, and everything seemed to be right. She nodded._

_"Okay, he's my cousin, but there are a few things I want to make clear." The boys nodded and she continued. "First of all, he's staying here with you. I'm fine with him not going to the dorms, but I'm not taking him home, as cute as he may be."_

_Lelouch nodded, he had hoped for that. If V.V. was close, he could keep an eye on the immortal. "Accepted."_

_Milly continued. "Secondly, you are responsible for him. That means, you buy him clothes other than his uniform, you make sure he doesn't starve."_

_Lelouch had expected this, and he couldn't ask the Ashford family to pay for another person, he was already making as much money as he could to soften the blow. Since he had found chess gambling, the Ashfords didn't have to spend a penny on clothes or food for him or Nunnally. He could support at least three more people with his earnings, not that he planned on doing so. And if he used his Geass for help, he might be able to feed a small army without any support. He nodded._

_Milly took a deep breath and Lelouch was getting an awful feeling when he saw her smile. "And finally, you owe me Lelouch. You owe me big-time." Lelouch nodded again, but this time one could tell that he really didn't want to acknowledge it. Milly smiled. "Wonderful!" She cheered._

_Lelouch looked at her. "And what about you, don't you have a meeting with a possible husband?" He asked sweetly, knowing it would make her leave him alone. Milly's grin vanished and she dropped herself into the bed, right next to V.V. "Not 'till tomorrow. But this one might be tough, Baron Ramsley doesn't seem to have any weak points I could use to weasel myself out of this one. I don't want to marry some stranger just because my family could use a boost in status."_

_V.V. looked up from his book. "Ramsley? Seven feet tall, brown hair, big scar under his left eye?"_

_Milly looked at him in surprise. "That's the one. I wonder how he got the scar. He was in the war, maybe he was hit by a stray bullet?"_

_V.V. snorted. "More like a stray pebble. And I can guaranty you that the coward has never been in a war, the man is still afraid of monsters in his closet. I'm surprised he came to Japan, considering the fact that he's allergic to cherry blossoms, here known as Sakura."_

_Milly stared at him. "How do you know that? And what do you mean, a stray pebble?"_

_The boy smiled. "When Baron Ramsley was a child of mere twelve years, his older sister had gotten her first car. Well, he was standing right behind it as his sister put the pedal to the metal. Unfortunately, a small stone was right under the left hind wheel and that stone was practically fired at little Ramsley and slashed open his face. That's were he got the scar, not that he'd ever admit it."_

_Milly stared at him like he was a gift from god. "And you're sure that's what happened? Do you have such stories about other nobles as well?" This boy could make avoiding marriage a lot easier._

_"I have information on most nobles that they don't want public. After all, knowing others secrets..."_

_Milly smiled as she continued. "...is never a bad thing. You just have to know..."_

_Now V.V. was grinning like a Cheshire cat "...how and especially when to use them and when to keep your mouth shut." He finished._

_Milly wiped a imaginary tear from her eye and hugged the boy. "I love you, cousin."_

_When she finally let go of V.V., his smile had widened even more. "I have a feeling we'll get along just fine."_

_Lelouch was looking at the two blonds, unable to decide which one to stare at. Finally, he managed to regain his voice. "Are you sure the two of you being related is something I made up?"_

_End of Flashback  
_  
-0-

Lelouch was hardly paying any attention to class, much too busy in a whispered conversation with V.V., aka Victor Vincent. Lelouch had gotten quite a laugh out of his suggestion to name him Vivi, just to have an excuse in case he screwed up and called him V.V. in front of the class. V.V. had not liked the idea at all and started a rant befitting his appearance, not his age. In the end, they decided to turn the name he had given Lelouch into the initials of his new name. That way, the name V.V. could be explained away as a nickname the boy really hated, just to keep it from becoming to common, even though that could backfire.

Milly had fell in love with V.V.'s knowledge of the nobility's dirty secrets and had already set certain arrangements in motion. 'Victor' would not be taking part in the P.E., just like Kallen because of supposedly weak constitution and in his case, simply because of his size and strength, or rather the lack of both. And secondly he would become a part of the student council. Lelouch wasn't sure if he should be looking forward to him meeting the rest of the council, or if he should dread that meeting.

-0-

Suzaku had been found innocent of all charges and was released, he himself not sure why or how things had changed so fast, but he wasn't complaining. He looked around, finding Cecile and Lloyd nowhere in sight. Oh well, they were probably working on the Lancelot and forgot the time. He'd just go there on foot, it wasn't that far. Then he heard a girl's voice from... above?

"Out of the way please, look out below!" He looked up and managed to catch the girl by sheer reflex, his mind still having no clue what was happening here. While the girl apologized to him, he looked above his head.

There, at least two stories above him, was a improvised rope made from what looked like bedsheets hanging out the window. Suzaku didn't believe it. Even if you made a perfect jump, from that height something would break, and this girl would have made a belly-flop on the pavement if he hadn't caught her. She would have almost certainly died, what was this girl thinking?

Suzaku was about to start a lecture on the dangers of such actions, when he looked into the girl's eyes. For some reason, it was impossible to be mad at her, so he shrugged it off. She introduced herself as Euphy, and to his surprise she asked him to accompany her, even though she knew what he'd been blamed for Then she said something about bad people chasing her and decided Lloyd and Cecile had to wait a while.

But from what Suzaku saw, this girl wasn't chased by anyone, nor was she acting like someone that had escaped from somewhere. If he had to describe it, he would say that she acted like a tourist, but it was somehow fun to be around her. But eventually he decided to confront Euphy about that lie she had told. Suzaku didn't like liars. But Euphy was busy trying to talk to a cat, and Suzaku decided to give up on that question. While he liked all animals, that cat had obviously not liked him and bit his hand, leaving him with small puncture wounds. Suzaku smiled as he noticed that even though that mini-tiger's bite hurt like hell, he was enjoying himself in her company, so when she asked him to accompany him to one last place he immediately agreed.

When he heard she wanted to go to the Shinjuku ghetto he was honestly surprised, but he noticed her tone had suddenly become very serious, silencing all protest before it began. He nodded and walked beside her to the place of Japan's most recent tragedy.

-0-

Jeremiah knew he would soon face imprisonment while this orange affair was investigated, but it was the knowledge that most of the nobility and maybe even some of the royal family thought of him as a traitor and conspirator against them that was laying hard on his mind. Worst of all, he couldn't even remember what had happened, his last memory way Zero threatening to unleash the poison gas. And for whatever reason, he'd let the man who injured a member of the Royal Family escape. He had failed Lady Marianne, he had failed her children, he had failed Prince Clovis and now most people thought that he didn't care what happened to the Royal Family. But they were wrong, and Jeremiah would prove that. He would redeem himself, he would become the Knight of One and protect the Royal Family and he would get Zero, the one who dared raise his hand against them. As if the gods wished to encourage him, a message that Zero was sighted in Shinjuku reached him.

-0-

School was finally over, and now it was time for V.V. to meet the council. Lelouch had already told him that the meek red-headed girl named Kallen was actually the pilot of the Glasgow that had saved their skins, so he'd have to watch his words. Or maybe there was a way to get the information he wanted out of her by simply revealing himself as Zero's ally. But if nothing drastic happened, or at least something to open the boy's eyes, he might never meet the terrorist Kallen again. Lelouch seemed to think he could simply take control over local terrorist groups when he wanted Zero to make an appearance, not realizing that without real trust for the leader, those men would most likely turn coward at the first sign of trouble. Well, Lelouch would have to learn it the hard way eventually, and V.V. was there to make sure that the lesson wouldn't cost the boy life or limb.

But for now, he had to deal with this student council. He knew from both his brother and some personal experience that councils usually were a shit-load of trouble, way more than they were worth. Not that that was too hard, seeing that most of them were worth nearly nothing. But since this school was organizing itself, or rather it was organized mostly by the students and still hadn't collapsed, this council might be a bit better than most others.

He was beginning to revise that opinion once he actually met them. They all seemed to be more or less normal teenagers, and V.V. was sure the only reason the school hadn't gone to hell yet were the two people in the room that knew he wasn't related to the Ashfords.

The carrot-top had on obvious crush on Lelouch, something everyone but the boy himself could clearly see. The blue haired boy sticking to Lelouch seemed to have an equally large crush on V.V.'s new cousin, if the looks he was giving her were any indication. Again, everyone but the girl in question noticed it, but here V.V. wasn't sure if Milly was as clueless as she acted. That Kallen-girl was playing sickly, so she wouldn't draw attention to her talents. Nunnally, apparently some sort of junior member, couldn't really do much to help, even if she wanted to. And the girl with the glasses seemed married to the computer, but from the glance V.V. had gotten at what she was doing, he made a mental note to have a closer look at a later time.

But for now, he had to deal with their interrogation. He had organized a background together with Milly and Lelouch, so he could answer their questions, but Lelouch had a smug grin that showed he found this entire situation incredibly funny, and V.V. was itching to wipe it off his face. They were all drinking juice out of wine-glasses, Shirley had made sure Rivalz didn't smuggle anything here this time, when V.V.'s chance for revenge on Lelouch came.

Rivals looked at him. "So Victor, how are you and Milly related? Are you her brother?"

This was just too good to pass up. He put on his best I'm-just-a-innocent-little-boy-and-I-couldn't-hurt-a-fly smile, it would have fooled even Lelouch if the former prince hadn't known better, and answered. "No, I'm her son, Lelouch is my father." The reaction was astounding.

Shirley screamed and fainted, dropping to the floor in a so cliché way, that V.V. wondered if she practiced.

Rivalz dropped his glass and froze like a statue.

Kallen was red like a tomato and stared at Lelouch, her eyes opened so much it wouldn't have surprised V.V. if they fell out.

Milly seemed to take it best, she merely raised a brow.

Lelouch had been taking a sip from his glass when V.V. answered and spat the entire thing out, missing Nina only because the girl had jumped backwards at this revelation.

Nunnally knew it wasn't true, but that knowledge couldn't keep her from blushing.

Suddenly Rivalz unfroze and tackled Lelouch, throwing both to the ground. Then the enraged boy grabbed Lelouch by the collar and shook him while screaming something about betrayed trust until the boy, after many collisions with the floor, managed to slap Rivalz in the face.

"Use your brain, Rivalz. If Milly was really his mother, she would have to have given birth to him before she was ten. It's a obvious lie, he's just messing with your head." Lelouch shouted, before Rivalz could continue to train his cocktail-mixing on him.

Rivalz blinked, then he looked at 'Victor', who seemed to barely be able to stand because he was laughing so hard. The boy wiped a tear from his right eye before he started to speak, barely understandable because of his laughter. "Sorry, I couldn't resist. I'm Milly's cousin."

Rivalz nodded, embarrassed that he'd fallen for that. Lelouch cleared his throat. "Rivalz, would you mind getting off me?" Rivalz jumped off him, suddenly unable to look his friend in the eyes.

Milly grabbed a glass of mineral water and poured it on Shirley's face. The girl jumped up. "I had a terrible dream." She said, getting a short laugh from everyone. She looked at them. "What?"

Milly grinned at her. "Victor saying that he was my and Lelouch's child wasn't a dream, Shirley."

Shirley paled and seemed ready to faint again, when Victor decided to end her agony. "But I was just kidding, I'm her cousin."

"Oh." That was all Shirley said.

Lelouch, who was finally back on his feet, raised his hand, as if he wanted to ask a question in a kindergarten. "Now that we all know each other, can we get back to our usual activities?" He could use a small nap right about now.

Milly looked at the clock. "Sorry, I have a baron to humili... I mean, I have to go meet someone, so you'll have to make due without me today." With that, she was gone.

Lelouch looked at the others. "If we have nothing pressing right now, I'd say meeting adjourned."

The others nodded and started to leave, except for Nina, who returned to her computer.

V.V. looked at Lelouch and grinned. "Daddy, can I have some ice-cream?"

"Shut up, pipsqueak." Lelouch hissed. Then they left, Lelouch to check the news for Suzaku and some scheming, V.V. to organize a few things he'd need to keep Lelouch out of trouble when he finally learned the lesson that strangers could not be trusted and that nobody truly trusted someone they knew nothing about, the hard way.

-0-

Suzaku was looking at the barren ruins that once were the ghetto. People had hung pictures on the walls and wrote their goodbyes, most unable to afford a real funeral and some not even being able to find or identify their loved ones remains. He sighed. "The Shinjuku ghetto, ruined once again. Things were starting to look up here as well."

Then he noticed two Britannian students taking pictures of the destruction. They were obviously weapon freaks, seeing as they were trying to identify what weapon caused what damage. Three Japanese appeared, and while Suzaku agreed that what the students were doing was disrespectful to those who perished here, he noticed things were about to get out of control.

He ran to stop it, only to have one of them swipe away his sunglasses. Once they recognized him, it was a mixture of surprise and anger. Suzaku had to counter an attack from the Japanese hothead. Then the Japanese left.

His intervention served its purpose, seeing as a real fight had been avoided, but the insults the red-haired Japanese had shouted at him left a bitter aftertaste. To top things off, the students were complaining about his actions, telling him he should have killed his own countrymen because of slight damage to the camera.

Euphy had enough of the student's blabber. She walked up to the one that was spouting the bullshit and slapped him as hard as she could. "I will not allow you to insult this man any longer you oaf!" She shouted.

Suzaku was touched by the way she stood up for him, and when the boy tried to grab her, Suzaku pinned him to the ground.

"I warn you, I am willing to use force if you try to harm her. And I'm certain I can beat you two." After saying this, he let the student go and they both left.

-0-

Meanwhile, V.V. had been questioning Lelouch about his goals.

"Do you really believe you can win with only your Geass as a weapon? Your opponent may simply be too large and strong for you."

Lelouch looked out the window, seeing Nunnally accompanied by Sayoko. "Is it good to be strong?" He asked, not knowing that his best friend was voicing the same thoughts right now.

"Is it bad to be weak? Back when I was ten, the world seemed to be such a terribly sad place, without any hope at all." Suzaku said.

"Starvation."

"Disease."

"Filth. Decay."

"Racism."

"Constant war and terrorism."

"We're living in a never ending cycle of hate."

"Like rats, running in a wheel."

"The cycle has to be broken. Somebody has to do it."

V.V. looked at Lelouch. "You never struck me as such an idealist."

Suzaku sighed. "Of course, it's doubtful that the one who does it will make all bad things in this world go away."

"I'm not that arrogant. And so..." Lelouch stated.

"Nobody should loose more of the ones they love. A world without war, is that so much to ask for?"

Both Euphy and V.V. asked the same question. "And how would you gain this utopia?"

Here, the opinions parted. "It's simple." Lelouch stated while knocking over the king on his chessboard. "When someone wins, the fighting will end."

Suzaku was not as certain. "I don't know how you'd do it, but if I stopped trying, them my father's death will have been in vain. My father died, because that war demanded his sacrifice!"

A explosion underlined his words.

-0-

Jeremiah's eyes widened as he understood. It had been a trap, and he had gone right into it. As soon as he had entered in his Knightmare, four other Knightmares surrounded him. He knew he had no real chance of victory, but he wouldn't go down without a fight!

-0-

Cecile and Lloyd had been tailing Suzaku and the girl accompanying him for a while now. Cecile was happy that Suzaku still found some time to have a life outside of the military, but Lloyd seemed to find something she didn't understand incredibly funny. When the explosions started, they drove to them and Cecile opened the door.

"Get in, hurry!" She called, but Suzaku just looked at her.

"What's going on?" He asked.

Lloyd leaned towards them as he waved his hand dismissively. "The purists are having a silly squabble amongst themselves, nothing that concerns us. We'd best get out of here while still can."

Suzaku seemed to disagree. "Isn't this a good chance to gather battle-data with the Lancelot?" He asked, starting to understand how the white-haired man was thinking.

Lloyd smirked. Getting battle-data while both showing off his creation and humiliate the purists sounded almost too good to be true, so he agreed.

-0-

Jeremiah was starting to tire. He had lasted for over five minutes, which was quite a feat, but it had stripped him of all weapons but the Stun Tonfas that were built into the arms, while his opponents still had their lances. What wormed Jeremiah above all else was the fact that Kewel was the one leading the charge on him. The man had just as much fault at this fiasco, maybe more. He had clearly and willingly cut off all communications from the homeland, which made everyone even more suspicious and had even led to rumors that the purists had planned to bring Japan under their complete control or plunder the Sakuradite. But now that was unimportant. He was surrounded, and all Knightmares were charging at him lances first, planning to skewer him.

To his own surprise, a Slash Harken pierced the ground before Kewel's Knightmare, forcing him to abort the attack. Fortunately for Jeremiah, the other pilots were too busy gawking at who shot to continue to attack themselves. Jeremiah didn't believe his eyes. It was that honorary Britannian Suzaku Kururugi piloting Britannia's finest piece of machinery, the Z-01 Lancelot. But why would Suzaku Kururugi rescue him? Kewel seemed to be asking himself that same question.

"What business does the Special Core want here? Interlopers will die!" He shouted.

Kururugi replied by spouting off some idealistic nonsense, causing Jeremiah to roll his eyes. Hadn't the boy learned anything from his trial?

But Jeremiah wasn't complaining, the boy was tilting the odds to his favor, especially when he revealed that that brilliant lunatic Asplund had managed to perfect the MVSs. Jeremiah had to admit that the boy, while idealistic to the point of idiocy, was skilled, as he slashed through the Harkens that were fired at him, probably not realizing that replacing a single Harken would cost around a thousand pounds (Since Britannia's origins lie in England, I'll give them the British currency).

Kewel seemed to realize he couldn't win and tried to at least take him down, but to Jeremiah's further relief, Villetta interrupted the charge and Jeremiah didn't get a scratch. The entire battle was looking very different now.

It was 3 vs 4, but while Kewel was a good pilot and still outnumbered them, he knew that the balance of power had drastically shifted. Villetta was almost as skilled as Kewel, the best pilot amongst their foes, and the gap between himself and Kewel was a small canyon. There was a reason he had lasted this long against four opponents, just as there was a reason Kewel had brought three others in the first place. As for Kururugi, with that Knightmare and the skill he had just shown, he could probably take them all, at least when they were in their Sutherlands.

Kewel seemed to realize this as well and ordered his men to stand down. While Kururugi seemed relieved, Jeremiah knew the man too well to think it was over. And he was proven right when Kewel used a Chaos Mine, probably a last resort against him, seeing their were not standard equipment.

Just as the Mine flew into the air, a girl ran into their arena and Jeremiah's eyes widened. He had been a guard at the Aries Villa, where he had seen the girl far too often not to recognize her. The only thoughts going through his head were: Not again!

Both he and Kururugi moved at the same time. While the Lancelot moved in front of the others and activated some sort of shield, Jeremiah simply moved his Sutherland in front of the third Princess, made it kneel down to cover her from the Mine and made it cross its arms in front of the princess, hoping that should the Mine's projectiles carve their way through the machines torso, the arms could block them. He had the machine's back turned to the Mine, simply because with the cockpit and him in it, it was the thickest side and would take the most hits before the machine fell. Of course Jeremiah knew he wouldn't survive, but he had failed twice and he would be damned before he would let it happen a third time while there was still a single breath of life in him!

But to his surprise, the Lancelot's shields withstood the fire and deflected it. While most would be either angry because this Eleven looked like a hero, or simply grateful that they were alive, the only thought going through Jeremiah's head was 'Thank god, the princess is safe.'

As the rain of projectiles died down, said princess raised her voice. "All soldiers, cease fire at once! I, Euphemia li Britannia, third princess of the Empire, demand it."

Kewel and his compatriots immediately made their Knightmares bow while apologizing. Both Jeremiah and Suzaku exited their frames and ran towards the princess. When they reached her, they both dropped to a knee. Jeremiah spoke first.

"Your highness, are you unharmed?"

Euphemia smiled at the two men. "Yes, thanks to you both. I know Suzaku, but may I know your name?"

Jeremiah raised his head. "My name is Jeremiah Gottwald, your highness."

She nodded. "Well, Sir Jeremiah, would you mind leaving us alone?"

"Of course not, your highness." With that, he left. Euphemia looked at Suzaku, who lowered his head before speaking.

"I beg your forgiveness your highness, if I had known who you were, I would have..."

Euphemia interrupted him. "Suzaku Kururugi, you and I bare a similar deep pain. You have lost your father, as I have lost two of my beloved siblings, and recently, a third nearly avoided that same fate. Would you help me create a gentler world, where such tragedies will never occur again?" She stretched out her hand.

Suzaku didn't know what to say. The girl he had just met was a princess of the country he was trying to change, and she seemed to share his ideals. He spoke the only thing one in his position could say. "Yes, I'm... unworthy of your kindness."

Euphemia smiled at him. She knew that was the best she would get out of him for now, it was probably all a bit much for Suzaku right now. But she knew that she could count on him, as he seemed to share her wishes and dreams.

-0-

When Euphy had returned and Cornelia had found out what happened, she seemed ready to die on the spot. She checked if there was a single scratch on her, then asked her what had possessed her to act like that. Right in the middle of the lecture, Cornelia's first knight Guilford entered the room.

"I apologize," He started "but as viceroy, you have to start the trial about the Orange-affair. Gottwald has already been arrested."

Euphy looked up. "Who is that Gottwald?" She asked.

Cornelia snorted slightly. "He is the new leader of the purist faction, and apparently the leader of this mess. He is just someone that only cares for himself and would probably let the Royal Family die if it served his purpose."

Euphy tilted her head. "That's weird, I met a Jeremiah Gottwald today, and he would have sacrificed his life for my safety if Suza... Warrant Officer Kururugi hadn't used those shields to protect us all."

Cornelia looked at her. "You're saying that pilot you told me about, the one that drove his machine between you and the Chaos Mine, that was Jeremiah Gottwald?" She had heard about the two men that were willing to loose their lives to protect her sister, she just didn't know their names yet. And fortunately for Kewel, she also didn't know who activated the Mine, simply because Euphy wasn't sure either.

Euphy nodded. "Perhaps I judged too soon, if Gottwald was really willing to sacrifice his life like that..." Cornelia muttered.

Guilford had the feeling that the former plan, to execute Gottwald, had just flown out the window. Cornelia was very protective of her little sister, even more so after what happened to her other favorite siblings, the vi Britannia's. If someone saved her sisters life, she considered that a debt she would repay. The punishment would probably turn into a simple demotion.

Cornelia looked at her sister. "Anyways, I heard Clovis was released from the hospital, how about we visit him?"

Euphy looked at her. "You're going to shout at him, aren't you?"

Cornelia's rare laughter escaped her lips. "How did you know, Euphie? Yes, he did make some weird decisions, and with the way he run things here it's no wonder the terrorists got cocky. Such a thing is not acceptable for the Royal Family."

Euphie rolled her eyes. She loved her big sister, but sometimes, she was taking such things much too serious. But the idea of seeing Clovis was not a bad one, it had been far too long.

-0-

Clovis was worried. He had guessed Zero's identity the moment he heard the story and saw the pictures, there was only one person crazy and brilliant enough to pull something like this off.

Lelouch's hatred for his family seemed to be mostly focused on father, understandable, seeing he was the one who abandoned the two of them, although he seemed willing to crush anything between him and his goal. Clovis remembered that he, Cornelia and even Schneizel had protested against the taken measures, but to no avail. Rumors were that even Britannia's most famous ghost had advised the emperor against it, but again, in vain.

But what the man he had just finished painting into his picture had done when news came that Lelouch and Nunnally were dead was far beyond protest. Clovis wondered where the emperor had locked the man away, and why he hadn't killed him.

He rolled the wheelchair away from his newest work, finally complete. It was his best work yet. His thoughts were interrupted when the doors to his room swung open and he heard a certain shout.

"Clovis, I need to talk to..." Cornelia stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the picture hanging above his bed.

Clovis smiled. It was also one of the best pictures he'd ever made, though maybe he just liked the topics. It showed Lelouch, Nunnally and Marianne in front of the Aries Villa, all smiling and laughing.

Euphy had entered with her sister, and a few tears rolled down her face when she saw the picture. "It's beautiful." She whispered and Clovis smiled.

"Yes, it's one of my best works ever, topped only by what I just completed. Oh, and welcome to Area 11, Euphy, Cornelia."

Cornelia had completely forgotten why she came here, that picture just took all of her focus. She slowly turned to her brother and walked beside him and Euphie to see what Clovis called his best work yet. She gasped.

The picture was painted from a bird perspective. The observer had the feeling he was looking out of a window on the second floor, directly onto a ocean of grass. Further back, one could see the sky with a few clouds, and the distinctive silhouette of the Aries Villa. Cornelia had no idea how Clovis did it, but she had the feeling she could see every single blade of grass. But it was what was on that grass that had captured her attention.

On the field, there were five people laying on the grass, two more a bit further back. One of them was Lelouch, two chessboards in front of him. On the other sides of the board, she recognized Clovis and herself, but everyone was much younger. Nunnally and Euphy were seen behind them, watching the game even though the didn't really understand what was going on.

Clovis had captured the moment Lelouch had checkmated them, clearly visible by the smug grin on the boy's face. The Cornelia in the picture seemed to be shrugging her defeat off, while Clovis's face was somewhere between a frown and a smile. Euphy and Nunnally seemed to be cheering for Lelouch's victory.

Cornelia remembered that day, ever since that defeat she had paid more attention to her troops, which made her an even more fearsome general. But the two people in the background caught her attention.

The first one was Schneizel. He was sitting on the lawn, looking at the game, that rare real smile on his face. Not the one he gave business partners or the one he wore when he lead armies to victories, it was his true smile that he seldom showed, even to closest friends and family.

But what truly caught her attention was the other man, or rather boy, laying on his back in the grass, eyes closed, head cushioned by his hands and a content smile on his face. She recognized him immediately. He, along with Anya Alstreim, held the title of youngest to ever enter the Rounds, and he had also gotten a nickname from both Britannia and his enemies. While Cornelia herself was known as the Witch of Britannia and the Knight of Ten Luciano Bradley had earned the title Vampire of Britannia for his blood lust, Cornelia found this man's title quite befitting, having once seen him 'work'.

"Is that who I think it is?" She asked.

Clovis nodded.

Euphy shuddered. She had heard of him, but the rumors seemed different from the boy she had met at the Aries Villa. "Why did you put him in that picture?" She asked.

Clovis looked at her. "Because he belongs there. It was the only place he was ever at peace, with Lelouch and Nunnally."

Cornelia couldn't deny that. The boy, only 13 at the time, had always been cold to those on his side and merciless with his enemies, but for some reason, he had completely changed whenever Lelouch and Nunnally were nearby. He had called them his angels, and once even told Cornelia that they kept him from falling in the abyss.

"But I wonder, why is he on that picture, but Empress Marianne isn't?" Cornelia asked.

Clovis looked at her. "Because that day, she wasn't there. It was just you, me, Euphie, Lelouch and Nunnally, with Schneizel watching us and Markus just being where he always was if the emperor didn't send him around the globe to help conquer a new area."

"True," Euphy added "But I don't remember that much grass surrounding the Aries Villa." Clovis simply shrugged, before he noticed something

Cornelia's hand had stretched to try and touch the painted Lelouch. "Cornelia, please don't touch it, the colors aren't dry yet."

Cornelia looked up, seemingly pulled out of her memories. "Ah, sorry. But really, I'm not sure if it will look good if you present a picture with Markus in it."

Clovis shrugged. "I'm not going to show it, I painted that one for myself and those who deserve to see it, just like the other painting you were staring at." There was, of course, another reason for this behavior.

Clovis had seen Lelouch, and he optically hadn't changed much, aside from growing taller. If those pictures could be publicly viewed, someone would figure out his brother's secret. He had originally planned to put his newest work on display, but decided that its secret was best kept hidden. He hadn't announced any new works, so nobody would be expecting one.

Euphy tilted her head. "That's a shame, it's such a beautiful picture."

Clovis nodded. "Yes, but I don't want to torture generations of art students with having to know how I held the brush when I painted it and being forced to interpret things into it I never thought of."

Cornelia nodded. "Anyways, I want to talk to you about Area 11, if you could spare the time." She had finally remembered why she came, but she had somehow lost all will to shout.

Clovis looked at her. "Of course, but perhaps not here. Euphy, could you please push my wheelchair? I'm not quite used to it yet."

Euphy walked up behind him and softly pushed it while Cornelia held the door open. "How long will you be bound to a wheelchair?" Cornelia asked, haunted by memories of another sibling in a wheelchair.

Clovis smiled. "The doctors say I'll make a complete recovery, so I guess I'll be back on my feet in a month, give or take a week."

Cornelia smiled, then looked at the figure in the picture one last time. She wondered where her father had locked him up after his actions. Before she closed the door, she whispered his name and titles.

"Former Knight of Two. Markus Nachtjagd, the Archfiend of Britannia."

* * *

Chapter 8 is done. This chapter is a little longer than my usual length of around 4000 words. See it as an apology for taking this long. Still not that much real action, but we're getting there. Since I need to find more ideas for my other story, updates might come a little faster for a while.

And no, I'm not using Reis Nailo's idea and give Lelouch a guardian from the rounds, I already said that Charles locked him away. Maybe I'll find a way to tell a bit more about his background in the next few chapters. I'll say this now, he won't make an appearance outside of flashbacks before the Black Rebellion. By the way, would you like to see it succeed or fail?

While it succeeding is not a new idea, almost everyone makes it fail.

Anyway, I mentioned another rumored appearance, I'll give more details to its identity and story in the next chapter, in two chapters at most. And its not a new character.

So, I guess I'll ask my questions now.

1. How did you like the identity I arranged for V.V. and how he got it? Congratulations to All That Is Left Unsaid for guessing right.

2. What role do you think Clovis will play in the future? I don't have any real plans for him yet, but I'm open to suggestions.

3. I created a new Round, old idea, I know. Why do you think he gained the nickname 'Archfiend'?

4. I asked before, but would you rather see the Black Rebellion succeed or fail?

5. Just the usual. How did you like it, what can I do better, etc...?

6. Tell me whatever you want to.

To All That Is Left Unsaid: Thanks for your advice, I'll use that advice when I reach the point where I really need it (soon).

While I like Jeremiah as a character, I don't like the crazy idiot Jeremiah at the end of R1, so I must find a way to skip that step. I made him cover Euphie because it just seemed like something he would do.

I said what I wanted to say for now, so:

Please Review


	9. Saitama

Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own CG and I never will unless I win the lottery... about five or six times.

* * *

Clovis sighed. He had just gotten an earful from Cornelia about the way he ran things in Area 11. While he agreed that there were many things he could have done better, he was a bit confused by what she pointed out. What Cornelia referred to as weakness and stupid ideas were, in Clovis's opinion, some of the few good things he managed to push through the barricade of nobility. Well okay, those and the swimsuit-designs for his water resort. He admitted the swimsuits were a bit daring, and after Cornelia swore she'd make sure he'd _never_ leave the wheelchair if she ever saw Euphy in one of them, he quickly agreed to alter them. The only good part was that Cornelia hadn't shouted at him, although Clovis had a feeling that his paintings were what saved him from that.

Now he saw her plotting something, and from his experience he could tell that it would probably be nasty, mean and most likely involved the terrorists. He wouldn't have really cared if he didn't know that Zero, or rather his brother Lelouch was at the top of Cornelia's must-be-dealt-with-list. Not that she knew who she wanted to hunt down. But still, she had more than enough practice with all those other terrorist organizations she had already crushed.

"What are you scheming, Cornelia?" He asked. Cornelia looked at him.

"I'm planning to get rid of the insolent bastard that dared challenge the Royal Family by shooting you." She replied.

Clovis fought the urge to roll his eyes. In some ways, Cornelia was as predictable as a hungry wolf in a butcher shop. "And how are you going to do that?"

Cornelia smiled and Clovis suddenly had a very bad feeling. "This Zero has a massive ego." Cornelia replied. Clovis fought the urge to say: _He's not the only one_ and listened as she continued. "That is obvious when you look at his actions from Kururugi's execution. He wants to be known, so he openly admitted it was him who shot you. I think I'll use that pride to lure him out. I think if I recreate the situation at Shinjuku ghetto, he can't resist and will try to get me."

She was probably right, the Lelouch Clovis remembered had been indeed prideful enough to go into such a situation while knowing it was a trap. And with him stuck in this wheelchair, there was nothing he could do to stop either of his siblings. But what most disturbed him was something else Cornelia had said. "What do you mean, you'll recreate the situation at Shinjuku ghetto?"

Cornelia smiled. "I heard the Saitama ghetto is swarming with terrorists. If I use the military to root out this problem, do you think Zero will come out and stop me? Excuse me, I have an announcement to make." With that, she turned around and left, leaving a confused Euphemia and a almost panicked Clovis.

"Do you know what she meant, big brother?" Euphy asked.

Clovis was grabbing the leans of his wheelchair hard enough to make the knuckles go white. "Yes, I do." He replied. "She's going to repeat my biggest mistake." And there was absolutely nothing he could do.

-0-

Diethard sighed. He watched his colleagues report a scheduled attack on Saitama ghetto, even giving away the starting time, in around two hours. This must have been the most obvious bait he had seen in his entire career. Still, a part of him hoped that Zero would appear and give another fantastic performance. And he somehow had a feeling his wish would be granted.

-0-

Lelouch and V.V. were watching TV in Lelouch's room when the broadcast about the scheduled attack on Saitama ghetto came in. V.V. snorted.

"This has to be the most obvious trap I have ever seen, and I've seen many in my time. You're not really planning on going there, right?" He looked at Lelouch, who was looking at the TV, smiling. "You are, aren't you?"

Lelouch's smile widened. "Why not? They went through so much trouble to invite me, so it's only fair I drop by and repay them. And there's something I want to ask my dear sister."

V.V. rolled his eyes. The boy wasn't taking this serious enough. "You're gonna get yourself killed like that, you know that?"

Lelouch grinned at the boy. "And you are going to stop me how?"

Instead of answering, V.V. pulled out a gun, but he didn't point it at him. Instead, he sighed when he noticed Lelouch's hand slowly moving to where Lelouch had hidden his own gun. Then he spoke. "I could try threatening to shoot you in the leg, but if you're anything like I think you are, then you would probably rather be dead than live a meaningless life, so you'd most likely threaten to blow your own brains out. So why don't we skip the intimidation and have a discussion like civilized people?"

Lelouch nodded. V.V. seemed to understand his disgust with such a fake life and he seemed to have a reason for wanting to stop him. So he took a seat, waiting for V.V. to start talking.

"I've realized I can't stop you from going to Saitama, but think about this. You'll be entrusting your life to people you don't know and that don't know you. They have no real trust in you, so there is a chance that they'll abandon you at the most crucial time. If that happens, you'll need a Plan B to avoid capture. And Cornelia is not only a competent leader, but unlike Clovis, she wants to bury you. From what we saw with Clovis, he was probably putting pressure on the strategists to heighten the chances of mistakes and hasty decisions. I know you want information about your mother's death, but you can't afford to get overzealous to get them, you'll only make mistakes that could cost you dearly." V.V. said.

Lelouch had to agree. Now that he thought about it, only because working with terrorists worked once, it didn't mean it would work again, and from his gambling experiences he knew that you never wagered everything on one card unless you knew that you couldn't loose. And in this situation, that was not the case. "So what do you suggest?" He asked

V.V. grinned, silently thankful he had somehow managed to gather or make all necessary components for the emergency retreat to work, plus a few extras for other uses. He knew enough about the Saitama terrorists to conclude that Lelouch would be learning his lesson on trusting strangers before sundown. He opened his mouth and told Lelouch the rough draft of the plan he had thought up.

-0-

Cornelia was sitting in the **M**obile **C**ommand **C**enter, growing impatient. She was frustrated that she had to be here in the MCC instead of outside on the battlefield, even if the actual fight hadn't started yet.

Cornelia's hatred for terrorists had started when a to this day unknown group of them had managed to infiltrate Britannia's security and kill Lady Marianne, Cornelia's idol, and had proceeded to grow ever since. Every single terrorist she had the displeasure of meeting had been a coward that sought destruction and chaos, most of them having no real idea what to do should their ridiculous dreams of independence come true. But in the case of Area 11, Cornelia was even more ruthless, since in her eyes any Eleven could have been a part of those who killed her beloved siblings, Lelouch and Nunnally.

And if this Zero was as good as everyone thought, not only could he have information about her siblings remains, but perhaps he knew something about Lady Marianne's death. After all, the political situation between Britannia and what was called Japan back then had been more than strained. Cornelia was looking forward to a _discussion_ with this Zero.

-0-

Roy Snyder, a Knightmare pilot fresh from the training batch, was sitting in the opened cockpit of his pilot seat, wishing he had never left the homeland. A fellow recruit together with a commanding officer stopped their Sutherlands and opened their cockpits to talk to him.

"What's wrong with you, Roy? Princess Cornelia wants the encirclement to be complete and the Witch of Britannia isn't exactly famous for her patience." Roy's equal-ranking colleague John said.

Roy looked at him. "I think I just saw the Pendragon Phantom." He said, looking at a area close to an entrance that lead below surface. John seemed confused, but the commanding officer, Major Brown snorted.

"The Pendragon Phantom is a myth." He said.

John raised his hand in confusion. "Sorry, but what is the Pendragon Phantom?" He asked.

Major Brown rolled his eyes and raised his voice in a lecturing tone. "Where did you grow up, under a rock? The Pendragon Phantom is Britannia's most famous ghost. Do you remember how the 82nd emperor, Julius des Britannia, came into power?"

John wasn't expecting a history test, but he tried to remember. For some reason, when you want to have a great career in the military, you had to learn about all emperors, from the 1st to the current one, number 98, and to this day, John hadn't figured out why.

"Julius the Cruel." Roy muttered. Something inside of John's head clicked.

"Now I remember, he had his entire family killed to get rid of competition. The only survivor was his oldest nephew, who later brought him down and was crowned 83rd emperor, Hendrick gil Britannia. Why?"

Major Brown grinned. "Glad to see all that money the homeland spent on your education wasn't wasted. Did you know that Hendrick had a younger brother who was personally killed by Julius? Benjamin gil Britannia was his name and they say that with his last breath, he swore that Julius would never be rid of him and that he'd still wander Britannia long after Julius's corpse had rotted to nothing."

Here Roy, seemingly over his shock, decided to continue. "It's said that Ben often appeared to his brother Hendrick before he became king, warning him of dangers and therefore allowing him to avoid them. Also, he is said to have appeared to old Julius in his hour of death to taunt him. Since then, hundreds of years have passed and Ben was seen hundreds of times, many times shortly before a disaster. They say that sixty years ago, a Stadtfeld was about to go riding on his horse when he claimed to see a boy with blond hair shaking his head at him before vanishing. Stadtfeld shrugged it off and went riding anyway. His horse threw him off and he broke his neck. He was dead before they reached him."

John started to get goosebumps and shuddered. Major Brown seemed to find John's shudders funny, so he started talking again."But you can't think of the Phantom as death's messenger, he is more of a warning. For example, Gideon Weinberg, father of the deceased Knight of Five, Cedric Weinberg, whose nephew happens to be the current Knight of Three, Gino Weinberg, also saw the Phantom when he was about to enter a plane to return to Pendragon. He claimed the Phantom frowned, looked at the plane and shook his head. Now old Weinberg, god bless his soul, was very superstitious and canceled his flight. Three hours later the radio delivered the message that the machine old Weinberg was supposed to be in crashed. There were no survivors."

John looked at them. "So, if this ghost can show up anywhere he wants, why is it called the _Pendragon_ Phantom?"

Major Brown laughed. "Simple, there are two reasons. First, the most sightings of Britannia's most famous ghost have been in Pendragon, and second, only those who have been at the Royal Palace, which is in Pendragon as you know, can see it."

John gulped. He had been to the Royal Palace once. "So, when you see it, you know you may die?" He asked.

Major Brown looked at him. "Not quite. For example, this story happened fifteen years ago in the Royal Palace. A nobleman, I forgot the name, had been granted an audience with the emperor the next day and he was given a room in the palace. In the middle of the night, he left his room and when he walked around a corner, he claims he almost ran into a boy with blond hair and what looked to be a young servant with brown hair. But suddenly, they were both gone. He swears didn't blink or anything, they simply vanished in an instant. Nothing ever happened to the man who saw them, so there obviously was no threat to his life. People figure you're only in danger when he signals you in some way, and if you ignore or defy his advice, you're screwed."

Roy shuddered. "He signaled me. That boy with the long, blond hair signaled me. I've been warned by the Pendragon Phantom." He whimpered.

Major Brown raised a brow, his stern expression slowly returning to his face. "Oh really, what did _it_ do?"

Roy seemed scared. "He looked right at me, then he clenched a fist, lifted it to his chin and raised his index finger so it formed a cross with his lips."

John tried to imitate the described movement. "Wait, doesn't this gesture usually mean 'Be quiet' or 'Don't tell anyone about me'?"

Roy's eyes widened. "Oh god, I'm dead."

Here Major Brown noticed things were going out of control. "Nobody's dead, but that Eleven scum in the ghetto soon will be. So pull yourselves together, the Phantom is a stupid rumor. After all, the dumb squirt died hundreds of years ago. So close your cockpits and get back to the main force, NOW!" He shouted and both pilots obeyed. Major Brown grinned. They had already wasted too much time with idle chitchat.

-0-

Euphy was working in her new office as sub-viceroy when she heard the door slide open. When she looked up, she saw Clovis in his wheelchair, smiling at her.

"I thought you could use someone to talk to before all hell breaks loose in Saitama." He said.

Euphy smiled at him. "Thank you Clovis, you're right. I understand the theory, those who risk their lives in battle are the ones that deserve to rule, but still..."

Clovis nodded. "But still, just because someone is a good soldier doesn't mean he's a good leader. And while a leader that comes from the military certainly prevents his country from becoming weak, can he avoid it becoming too heartless?"

Euphy was surprised that she wasn't alone with her thoughts, but then again, Clovis had always disliked conflict. She nodded. "While a leader that comes from the battlefield will not weaken his country, he may be too caught up in the war to seek peaceful solutions. A warrior as a leader will be exactly that, a warrior. He knows the battlefields, so he may not loose a war, but will he accept that it's not necessary to start one?"

Clovis sighed. "I've been asking myself that as well. But we can't do anything right now. I'm stuck in a wheelchair, and even if I wasn't, I don't have the strength of mind needed, I would give in. You are too young and inexperienced to be taken seriously, plus we are both known as silly pacifists."

Euphy sighed. Clovis was right, there was nothing they could do right now.

Clovis smiled. "On a different note, since Cornelia is gone, we, or rather you, can arrange a few things that she might not approve. What Cornelia doesn't know can't upset her, and when she finds out it will be too late."

Euphy smiled. She knew just what she wanted to do, but her sister wouldn't have liked the idea. She didn't like Numbers, and Elevens were at the very bottom of her list. So Euphy pulled out something she had planned a while ago. Clovis rolled his chair next to her and looked at what she was holding.

"A application form for... Ashford Academy? Do you plan on going there?" Clovis asked, slightly nervous of the results of this action. If Euphy really went to Ashford, it would only be a matter of time before she found Lelouch and Nunnally.

But to his secret relief, she shook her head. "I'd like too, but right now it's not possible. This isn't for me, it's for a friend I made here in Area 11. He's in the military and I won't make him leave it, but I think a 17-year-old should be in school, even if he is only a honorary Britannian." She sounded a bit sad when she said the last part.

Clovis knew that having to quit school early was something she had never wanted. He decided to help her in that little plan, seeing no harm in it. He gave Euphy a pat on the back and a knowing smile, then he looked on the form paper and raised a brow.

"Suzaku Kururugi?"

-0-

Lelouch, dressed in a military uniform, had managed to sneak into the ghetto and find a hiding place in one of the abandoned buildings. He saw how a group of people were herded together by a group of soldiers. A Japanese with glasses tried to reason, but moments later, all soldiers opened fire. Lelouch looked at the carnage, intending to toughen himself up against such gore, but when he saw how a small child fell under the gunfire, he remembered what happened at the Aries Villa and had to stop himself from doing something foolish. Should he manage to get Cornelia today, V.V.'s opinion on the worth of the Saitama terrorists had given him reason to doubt it, they would have a bit more to talk about than he originally thought. Then what he had been waiting for finally occurred. The main force marched in. Lelouch smiled.

"Now to organize a few Knightmares." He muttered.

-0-

Suzaku, currently taking a small break from Lloyd's endless Lancelot testings, was holding a letter from... Euphy? Somehow, he still couldn't think of her as Princess Euphemia li Britannia, when he pictured her Euphy seemed much more fitting. He opened the letter and found three things. A short letter from Euphy, a filled out application form for a academy called Ashford, and a letter of recommendation for the principal of said academy, signed by both Euphemia li Britannia and Clovis la Britannia.

In shock, he read the letter.

_Dear Suzaku,_

_I don't have the time to speak to you in person, so I'm sending you this. I don't know about you, but I think a 17-year-old should be in school. You can stay in the military (Clovis said that the chances of Earl Asplund letting you go are below 0%), but you really shouldn't give up on your education. Clovis decided to help me getting this to you, you should enroll in Ashford Before viceroy Cornelia finds out. Maybe we'll see each other again_

_Euphy _

Suzaku blinked in surprise, this wasn't what he had expected.

Cecile looked over his shoulder, read the letter and smiled. "It looks like you have a friend in a high position Suzaku. But I think she's right, education is important and you really should have a private life outside of your duties here."

Lloyd sensed that Cecile was about to reduce the time his Lancelot would be fully operational and rushed to them to stop it, but he froze when he caught Cecile's glare. "Well, I guess it couldn't hurt, but you'll have to cut class when you're needed here."

Cecile noticed he was trying to bargain and nodded. She would just have to make sure Lloyd didn't abuse that right.

Lloyd remembered something. "Ah, I almost forgot. Suzaku, you've been promoted to warrant officer by her highness Cornelia herself this morning. I guess she thinks you're just after your career, since she muttered something about the promotion satisfying you."

Suzaku looked up. "I don't care about my career. But if Princess Cornelia has a major operation planned," They had learned of the scheduled attack on Saitama when someone taking a break turned on the news "why aren't we heading there?" Maybe the Lancelot could help reduce the casualties as close to 0 as possible.

Lloyd shrugged. "She doesn't like numbers, so until she really needs the Lancelot, we'll be stuck in reserve at best. Well, maybe something happens that gets our purple-haired princess off her high horse."

Cecile smacked him on the back of the head. "You should have more respect for the Royal Family, they pay for all our work and research, not to mention the materials."

"Yes yes," Lloyd quickly interrupted to stop the lecture before it had a chance to really start "but since we're on the topic of Royal Family, Prince Schneizel has contacted me to inform me that our Gawain is almost complete. The Druid System is working perfectly and judging from a few tests, our little bird can lift off, but the Hadron Cannon is a bigger problem than we originally thought. And Schneizel is now asking for a test version of Lancelot's mass production model. I've managed to convince him that we need more testing before we can really build it, but we have to start on the basic frame."

Cecile nodded. "And what color do you want to use?" For some reason, the first thing Lloyd would decide on when he started to work on something was its color.

Lloyd scratched his chin. "How about golden? And where are those books, I want to pick a name." He walked to a bookshelf in the Lancelot's transporter, Suzaku had always wondered what it was doing there, pulled out a random book and started flipping through the pages.

Cecile sighed. "We'll need more than a month to build it, plus the information gathering with the Lancelot, why are you choosing the _name_ now?"

Lloyd ignored her and pointed at one passage. "Vincent, I'll call it the Vincent."

-0-

Meanwhile, the purist faction was standing as a reserve behind the MCC, waiting for orders.

"Why doesn't Princess Cornelia order us into battle as well?" A random member of the faction muttered.

Kewel glared at Jeremiah. "She won't because Orange is here. Thanks to you our careers are over!" He hissed.

Jeremiah returned the glare. "You're the one at fault here, Kewel. What possessed you to cut off communications with the homeland? It was obvious people would suspect treason with such actions. And it was obviously Zero's fault!"

Villetta started to think about Zero, and that student she vaguely remembered seeing just before her memories had failed her. She heard Kewel hiss something and was surprised when Jeremiah's face become serious before changing to an evil grin.

"I think the reason her highness Cornelia won't send us out is that she knows that our faction was the only one present in Shinjuku."

Kewel seemed confused. "Have you finally lost it, Orange? There were hundreds of..."

Jeremiah interrupted him. "Did you know that Princess Cornelia has offered a high reward for information concerning the identity of the individual who threw a Chaos Mine at her sister Euphemia?" Kewel paled, but Jeremiah ignored him. "As my last solitary act, I won't give her highness your name, but don't ever try to get smart with me again."

Villetta had to suppress a smile. Lord Jeremiah seemed to take the Zero affair quite well.

-0-

Lelouch wasn't smiling. In the beginning, all had worked well, he had managed to get Knightmares and hand them over to the terrorists without them seeing him. He himself had gone in another Sutherland and after he had the terrorists destroy the bridge with a good portion of the enemy still on it, he had mixed himself with Cornelia's retreating forces. That's when all went wrong.

Cornelia had all units with activated IFF's still in the ghetto mercilessly slaughtered. While a minor annoyance in and of itself, it was when the terrorists panicked and started to ignore his orders things got bad. He could actually hear some of them leaving the Knightmares and surrendering, only to be blasted to smithereens by Cornelia's forces. After less than three minutes, Cornelia declared over the speakers that all terrorists were dead.

'Beaten this easily.' Lelouch thought 'V.V. was right, blindly trusting strangers with my life is a fatal mistake. I can't win against her organized troops if I can't rely on my own.' Then he heard Cornelia demand that all pilots reveal their faces.

'So, she figured I'd hide myself with her units, waiting to strike. I've underestimated you Cornelia, be assured it won't happen again!' With that, he pulled out a communicator.

"V.V., you can finish the preparations for the emergency plan anytime. Like NOW! I'm in serious trouble here."

He heard a chuckle, then his accomplice answered. "It would seem I owe you an I-told-you-so, and you owe me, big time. It's ready when you are, just give me a sec to get out of the way."

Lelouch waited a few seconds, more he couldn't afford since the Gloucesters who were checking the pilots had almost reached him. He pushed the trigger V.V. had given him and to all but himself, it seemed like Armageddon had started.

-0-

Cornelia's eyes widened. She had underestimated Zero. He had left her thinking he was amongst her soldiers and waited until a majority of the pilots had opened their cockpits, therefore disabling the emergency eject, before collapsing the ground under their feet.

Cornelia realized they were stationed right above some sort of underground storage chamber, meaning that the Sutherlands had a drop of almost twenty meters ahead of them, with nothing but a few fire-escape-like metal constructs directly below the ceiling to cushion their fall. Those with their cockpits still closed mostly ejected to safety, but some didn't make it in time.

She saw one Sutherland with its cockpit closed grabbing hold of the metal construct that was clearly not made to support something much heavier than a human, before the pilot was forced to eject when a Gloucester came down on it, pulling them both to earth. She lost sight of the cockpit when she noticed that the edge of the hole was _behind_ the front wheels of the MCC. Her eyes widened and she grabbed hold on her throne, preparing for impact.

But the chaos died down and the MCC was still standing, even though balancing on the edge. She waited a moment, then she sighed in relief and relaxed. A second later another part of the asphalt gave away and the MCC dropped into the hole.

-0-

Lelouch sighed in relief. That little stunt with the Gloucester and the free-fall-ejection had not been a part of his plan, but as long as it worked, he wasn't complaining. What he liked even more was that by sheer coincident, his cockpit had landed right in one of the tunnels he knew would lead to freedom, since the exit was more than a mile away. He winced at the thought of having to run there, but the longer he waited, the higher the chances of him being discovered. So he pulled himself out of the cockpit and started running.

-0-

John slowly crawled out of his Sutherland. He was hurting all over and his Knightmare was little more than a pile of scrap-metal, but he was still alive. When he looked around, he saw that Major Brown and Roy hadn't been so lucky.

The Major's Knightmare had landed on its cockpit, with two other Knightmares, a Sutherland and a Gloucester with missing cockpits landing on its chest. That extra weight and added force had crunched the cockpit to a length of two feet. John thought he saw blood seeping out of the destroyed cockpit.

Roy had it even worse. His cockpit had been opened and John could see him, or at least his right hand, sticking out from a few boulders, parts of the destroyed ceiling.

John stumbled to the floor, emptying his stomach. When he looked up, he saw a small, blond haired boy in a corridor, looking at him with a frown. John knew he was looking at the Pendragon Phantom. Roy had not heeded his warnings and Major Brown had dared to mock him, which was why both were dead.

The Phantom raised his right index finger to his lips while his left hand motioned John to go away. John nodded and ran in the opposite direction. Not even three seconds later, the MCC came down and crushed the floor John had been standing on moments before. John, laying four feet away from the MCC that could easily smash Knightmares, not to mention a human like him, noticed he had pissed his pants. He didn't care. He had followed the Phantoms orders and thanks to that, he was still alive. He swore to himself that he would heed the other warning as well.

And truly, John never told the story of his meeting with the ghost as long to anyone as long as he lived.

-0-

V.V. frowned. He had known from his first glance that the man before him was a coward and wouldn't dare disobey the 'Phantom's' orders. He had no idea who started the urban legend, but he thanked them silently. It had become incredibly useful over the years, and that one encounter with the nobleman when he walked with Rolo had only increased the Phantom's fame. But it wormed him that he accidentally saved that brat's life. He had only intended to scare him away, who could have guessed that the problem would have solved itself had he done nothing. But what's done was done, and he had a different brat to reach. If V.V. knew Lelouch, he would catch up with the boy long before the exit.

-0-

When the MCC fell, Jeremiah was already racing towards it, trying to reach the princess. When it vanished in the hole, Jeremiah didn't hesitate a single moment. He jumped in the hole while shooting the Harkens into the wall and descended towards the MCC. When he reached it, he found a door and pried it open with his Sutherland. Afterwords he opened his cockpit and entered. He used the zip-line that was meant to pull a pilot to his cockpit or allow him to leave it as the legendary string of yarn that leads one back out of the maze. He was grateful those things were much longer than usually needed, his own being almost 500 feet long, the devil knew why. Jeremiah knew the basic design of a MCC, but tilted sideways, everything looked a little different.

When he finally reached the command room, he had to force the door open. His eyes widened when he saw Princess Cornelia seemingly unconscious and in the arms of Andreas Darlton, one of her knights. Jeremiah guessed Darlton had tried to cushion Princess Cornelia's fall with his body, and he seemingly succeeded. They were laying on the map table that was firmly connected with the floor, as was the throne. Jeremiah was thankful for that, he didn't want to think about what could have happened if the throne had followed the one sitting on it. He noticed Darlton was conscious.

"Are you alright, my lord?" He asked.

Darlton nodded. "Get her highness out of here, I can wait a little longer."

Jeremiah bowed his head as he carefully grabbed hold of Cornelia's limp body. He checked for a pulse and was relieved when he felt it pulsing strongly against his fingers. "I'll be back for you soon, my lord."

Darlton nodded before frowning. "We underestimated our opponent, Zero had a Plan B in case we defeated the terrorists."

Jeremiah looked at the princess he held, then his gaze returned to the man before him. "Perhaps, but his days are counted. He used our carelessness against us three times already, there will not be a forth." Darlton nodded and Jeremiah activated the zip-line. Jeremiah knew he would return to get the other man that was equally willing to sacrifice his life for the Royal Family while he and Princess Cornelia were slowly pulled back to the sunlight.

-0-

Lelouch leaned on the wall, trying to catch his breath. He tensed when he heard steps and pulled his gun, only to replace it in the holster when he saw that it was only V.V., wearing a smug grin.

"What did we learn about playing with strangers?" He asked in a mocking voice.

Lelouch ignored his words. "What took you so long? I was nearly fried while you were taking your sweet time."

V.V. raised a brow in annoyance. "I'm not sure you realize this, but with my size, getting on those stupid ladders with bombs tied to my back isn't that easy. And do you have any idea how difficult it is to get high-grade explosives when you look like you've just entered grade school?"

Lelouch snorted. "I'm sure for you it was _child's play_." He mocked. V.V. rolled his eyes.

"Very funny, but I hope you learned something from today. You were not taking this seriously. You've been acting like a tactician and against Britannia, that's just not enough. You have to be a strategist that shapes the battlefields the way he needs them and decides where the fighting takes place. If you always fight on their terms and turf, you're bound to loose. You need people that trust you and follow you and most importantly, you need to know what they can do and where they're the most useful." V.V. lectured Lelouch.

Lelouch's glare hardened. "Very well, then I'll build an army that can't loose to Britannia. The people will be my support. I'll create a nation!"

V.V. smiled. 'It looks like you've learned your lesson. Perhaps you really will defeat Charles one day. I'll have to agree with C.C. on this, you're definitely interesting, one can tell that at a glance.'

-0-

A few hours later, Clovis and Euphemia looked up from the workload to see Cornelia, her arm hanging in a sling. Clovis smiled weakly. "How nice to see you again Cornelia, but what happened to your arm?"

Cornelia gritted her teeth. "I got careless and fell in a trap. Nothings broken, but the doctors say I'll have to keep this on for roughly a week."

Clovis had heard what happened and was worried about his brother's actions, but decided to give him the benefit of doubt. 'If I heard correctly, the terrorists abandoned ship, so this was probably an distraction for his escape gone out of control. But as soon as I'm out of this damned wheelchair, I'll have to find an excuse to pay Ashford a visit.' He thought to himself.

-0-

The rest of the evening had passed uneventful, but the next morning held a surprise for both and Lelouch, who was currently staring at the boy in front of him.

"I'll be joining your class starting today. My name is Suzaku Kururugi, please take good care of me." Suzaku said, followed by a short bow.

'What is he doing here?' Lelouch asked himself.

'If he recognizes me, things could get really complicated.' V.V. thought, ignoring the mutters around him.

* * *

Chapter 9 is done. Finally! Don't get me wrong, I don't mind writing stories, but school is still giving me hell. And turning a story from your imagination into reality is harder than it sounds. Again, a little longer than what I'm used to writing, but if I can't update faster, then I'll at least make them a bit longer.

And those characters I created only served the purpose of telling the urban legend I thought up. I've already killed off two of them and number 3 is literally a John Doe and will not make another appearance.

I know Suzaku enrolls in Ashford before the Saitama ghetto is attacked, but I just felt like changing it. Suzaku's first day(s) will be in my next chapter.

So, I have 7-8 votes from my readers to make the Black Rebellion succeed and 0 votes for failure. It looks like I'll have to find a way to make it happen, but the Rebellion will be a success.

And I keep on making Jeremiah more and more heroic, I guess I just subconsciously really like him. When I saw him just standing around in the background in canon, I figured I'd just give him something to do. And I'm getting him further away from madness each chapter.

Well, here my questions.

1. I noticed most authors kinda skip Saitama, and now I understand why. All important and interesting fighters are missing. No Kallen, no Suzaku, nobody but Lelouch has a name. How did I do?

2. Since V.V. can't double Lelouch, I had to improvise. With what I did, Zero will look more dangerous in Britannia's eyes and much better in the Japanese's. How did you like the way V.V. saved Lelouch's skin when the terrorists abandoned him?

3. How did you like my urban legend? I just figured V.V. would use something like that to avoid always having to act like a little kid all the time. Also, I figured a country the size of Britannia would have a few legends, and in monarchies, those are most likely tied to the Royal Family. How do you like my idea?

4. Does anyone have anything they want to see? I can't promise it'll happen, but I'll try.

5. My usual ones. What did you like/hate, what can I do better, etc...?

6. Tell me whatever you want.

To 2stupid: First of all, thanks for reviewing, I appreciate it. Secondly, about what you said about OCs. You do realize that with all we know about him, V.V. is a OC with a canon name, right? On a different note, update your stories, I'm interested how things continue.

To All That Is Left Unsaid: Thanks for your ideas, they'll be a big help when I reach that point, and I already have some ideas what to do.

To Lord Edric (and everyone else): Thanks for the advice, does anyone know where I can find and actually understand all the picture and sound dramas (My Japanese sucks)?

To my reviewers: Thank you for your ideas, they're really helping.

To all my readers: Thank you for reading this story, and please leave a review, it's why I write this.

I've done my duty for today, now it's your turn

Please Review


	10. Fitting in

Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own CG

* * *

V.V. looked around in the classroom and was surprised to see that most people seemed just as happy about Kururugi joining Ashford as he was, but for far less noble reasons. He wanted Kururugi gone so the boy wouldn't blow his cover to kingdom come, the others just didn't want a Eleven, even if Honorary Britannian, in their class. V.V.'s eyes narrowed in disgust. Unlike many others, he had always thought of racism as a sign of mental weakness and idiocy. Hell, more than three quarters of the Geass-users in the Directorate had not been Britannians!

Lelouch's thoughts were going similar ways. He was happy that Suzaku somehow managed to survive, upset that most people already looked at him like he had the plague, and most importantly worried that Suzaku would discover 'Victor Vincent Ashford' was the boy from the capsule.

Suzaku on the other hand was having other thoughts. He saw the faces of his classmates, mostly dominated by fear or open dislike, and his heart sank. This would probably not be very fun. Then he saw Lelouch sitting beside a surprisingly young boy. 'Maybe this won't be quite as bad as I thought' he said to himself.

The bell rang and interrupted the thoughts of all three. 'Victor' calmly stood up and headed to the student council clubhouse, intending on having a little chat with Nunnally. Lelouch on the other hand seemed to follow Victor, only to stop at the door, looking at Suzaku and pulling up his collar in a way the Japanese boy was sure to recognize. Lelouch saw Suzaku's eyes widen and headed to the roof with a satisfied smirk

-0-

When V.V. entered the actual clubhouse after failing to find Nunnally in their living quarters, he immediately started his little search and found her together with Nina in front of her computer. V.V. immediately noticed that there was a big difference in the data on the computer. It seemed Nina had a breakthrough. Then he noticed Nina, who had tensed when the door opened, was now relaxing and sending him a shy smile.

"Hello Victor, are classes over already?" She asked.

Nunnally looked up. Lelouch had already told her the cover-story they came up with, so she knew who Victor really was.

V.V. smiled. "Hello Nunnally, Nina. Yes, classes are over, but why are you asking?" He replied.

Nina didn't answer, but she looked very uncomfortable. Then Nunnally spoke instead. "She left right after first period because she's scared." Nunnally seemed sad when she said that last part. V.V. raised a brow.

"Why were you afraid Nina?" When she didn't answer right away, he added "Don't worry, I won't laugh or anything, I promise."

Nina seemed to gather her courage. "We have a new student, and he's a-an E-Eleven." She replied while V.V. fought the urge to roll his eyes.

'Great, she's a overzealous patriot, and it sounds like she's xenophobic as well. Oh well, at least I know how to work with her and can guess which arguments will have what effect on her.' He thought to himself.

But his outer reaction was a little different. He gave Nina a friendly pat on the back and a reassuring smile. "I see. Well, that is scary, but I don't think _my_ family would let him enter Ashford if they weren't sure he wasn't dangerous. I know most Elevens are brutal and primitive," At that point Nunnally pinched him, but V.V. ignored the pain and continued "but there have to be at least one or two good ones, right? And I think I heard Milly say that he had a recommendation signed by two members of the Royal Family, so I really don't think he'll hurt us."

Nina seemed reassured by his words and he excused himself and Nunnally for a second, intending to explain before she really started to hurt him. Then he lowered his head and whispered to Nunnally, who used the chance to grab his ear and was pulling it so hard V.V. was wondering why it hadn't come off yet. "Look Nunnally, I really hate lying, but I don't think I could have calmed her down otherwise. Of course I know Japanese aren't like that, but I doubt Nina accepts that."

To his infinite relief, Nunnally nodded and released his ear. After all, being immortal doesn't make one immune to pain. "I think I'll head to my room, I'm a bit tired." She said.

V.V. nodded. "I'll follow soon, I want to talk to Nina for a while. About physics." He quickly added when he saw Nunnally's equivalent of a death-glare.

-0-

Meanwhile, Lelouch, leaning on the roof's safety-rail, saw the door opening and Suzaku stepping onto the roof, smiling at him.

"It's been quite a while since we used these signals, huh?" Lelouch asked.

Suzaku grinned. "No kidding, I almost thought I was seeing things. So, do I still call you Lelouch, or...?"

He was interrupted when Lelouch spoke. "The records count my old identity amongst the dead. I now go by Lelouch Lamperouge."

Suzaku nodded. "I see. But, what happened to the little girl?"

Lelouch blinked in confusion. "Little girl? What little girl?"

"You know, the one that was in the capsule in Shinjuku. The blond girl with the really long hair."

Lelouch blinked. Was he talking about V.V.? He felt the urge to laugh till his sides hurt, but he suppressed it and looked at Suzaku. "Oh, _her_." He suppressed a grin and made a somber expression instead. "I really don't know, we got separated in the fray. But you would know more about her than I do, right?"

Suzaku didn't notice Lelouch's reaction to the word girl, so he simply shrugged. "No, the only ones who knew anything were Clovis and his personal advisers, and two of them are dead Clovis is injured and Bartley has dropped from the radar."

Lelouch nodded. "Okay. But, just wondering, how much do you remember? I mean, getting shot and all..."

Suzaku winced at the memory. "Truth be told, not too much. I remember going in, using you as a soccer-ball, the capsule opening and the girl falling out, and the guy who shot me in the back. Next thing I know, I'm out of the combat zone and..." He stopped.

Lelouch looked at him. "And what?"

Suzaku seemed nervous, then he replied. "Well, then I hear a thundering noise and the earth shakes. Not much else happened after that. But on a different note, I don't think we should be seen together."

Lelouch was honestly surprised, though shocked would be a more appropriate term. "What?" was all he managed to get out of his throat.

"I mean think. How would you explain it? Being friends with an Honorary Britannian?" The last part of the sentence had a bitter ring to it, despite Suzaku doing his best to suppress it.

"What are you saying?" Lelouch was starting to get angry. Did Suzaku really think Lelouch gave a shit about what others thought? "You're coming over my place this evening, no discussion."

"But..." Suzaku tried to object before Lelouch cut him off.

"No buts Suzaku, I live over there in the student council clubhouse and you're coming there for dinner. Just you, me and Nunnally, I'll find a way to keep our house-pest, ehm I mean house-_guest_ away for the night."

Suzaku's eyes softened when he heard the word Nunnally and Lelouch knew he had him in the bag.

-0-

V.V. was in the middle of a very interesting discussion with Nina. It took him a while to convince her that he was actually capable of understanding her theories and quite interested in them as well. After that, things had drastically gone uphill for a change, and he was, frankly said, baffled at the theories this girl had developed. If this was realized and had even a fraction of the power these calculations implied, it could forever change the art of war. Going through the calculations himself, he made a mental simulation of what could happen when this idea was made reality.

What came out of these simulations was frightening. What this girl had thought up made Weapons of Mass Destruction look like child's play. It would completely obliterate everything caught in the blast radius, yet at the same time, you could be standing an inch outside of the radius and wouldn't get a single scratch. The only danger would be getting sucked over the edge when the air returned to fill the vacuum this blast had left and falling into the crater. This thing could spit on WMD, this would truly be the first Weapon of Controlled Annihilation ever made.

But what dampened the ecstatic scientist in V.V.'s mind was the fact that Nina had already published her theory in the net and was actually planning to enter Schneizel's science contest with it. V.V. had no doubt that Nina would win the damn thing and get the funding offered as the price, but neither did Nina understand what this weapon could do, nor was he willing to let it fall into Britannia's, or to be more precise, Charles hands without a counter for it.

Fortunately, he had figured out which buttons to press to get Nina to agree with him. "Look Nina," he began "this is amazing. But you should think about entering that contest with it."

Nina looked at him, surprised and a bit hurt. She had finally found someone who understood what she was working on, and now he was telling her it was no good? "Why? D-don't you think this could work? You think I'd never win, don't you?"

V.V. laughed. "Oh, I have no doubts that it'll work or that you'd win that contest, leaving all competition light-years behind you. You're a genius Nina, don't believe anyone who tells you something different."

Nina smiled at him, thankful for his confidence but confused with his advice. "Then why shouldn't I enter with this Victor?"

"Simple," V.V. replied "You will win the contest and get funding and make this idea a reality. But what do you think will happen then?"

Nina answered without a moments hesitation. "Then Britannia will unify the world and there will never be another war."

V.V. smiled sadly. "We must build a weapon so terrible that nobody will attack out of fear we will use it, eh? But think about this. It's insanely hard to come up with something, but copying it isn't too difficult. Think of Knightmares. In the beginning, they were hailed as the weapon that would unite the world as it was superior to anything else there was. But then, some were stolen or the ideas were copied, and now many nations have Knightmares. Granted, their not as good as Britannia's, but they don't have to be. They're good enough to negate most of the advantages Britannia has. In a one-on-one fight we'd still win, but they can beat us with sheer numbers now, something that wouldn't have worked before, like when Japan was conquered. So, how long do you think it would take other countries to copy this? A year, two, or maybe even five? Sooner or later, someone will copy it, and just imagine what this could do in the hands of terrorists."

Nina paled. In the hands of terrorists, her creation would cause terror unlike anything the world had ever seen. She nodded and looked at Victor. "I see what you mean, but what would you suggest?"

V.V. seemed to think, even though he already knew what he would say. After a few moments, he looked at her. "I'm not asking you abandon everything you worked for, that would just be too cruel. All I say that before you turn it into reality, you should find a way to counter, or rather cancel this, even if just in theory. You should have something that can block this," he pointed at the computer "should it fall into enemy hands. I don't demand an answer from you right now, just think about what I said, okay?"

He smiled at her, gave her a last pat on the shoulder and turned to leave, leaving Nina behind, lost in thoughts.

-0-

A few hours later, that smile had completely faded from V.V.'s face. "So let me get this strait, I'm banished from the dinner table for the day and even though we forged this identity to insure something like this is no longer necessary, I have to remain out of sight until _tomorrow_, is that right?"

Lelouch grinned. "Yes, that pretty much sums it up. Suzaku is coming over for dinner tonight and even though he doesn't recognize and only faintly remembers you, I don't want to take the risk of jogging his memory."

Although begrudgingly, V.V. had to agree with Lelouch. Meeting Kururugi this early in the game may not be such a good idea. He nodded. "Fine. And you're sure he doesn't recognize me?"

Lelouch grinned. "Oh, I'm certain. In fact, he asked me today if I knew what happened to the little kid in Shinjuku. I guess he wanted to know if the little _girl_ he saw was okay. Anyways, I must get going. See you tomorrow, Victor_ia_."

Wit that, Lelouch used all of his strength reserves to make a short dash to get away from V.V. before the boy could piece the message together.

For a second, V.V. simply stared in shock. Kururugi thought he, or rather the capsule's inhabitant, was a girl? He ground his teeth, well aware that Lelouch would never let him live this down, even if the boy also became immortal and they spent the next few millenniums together.

V.V. looked out of a window and saw the same brown-haired boy responsible for his latest headache, apparently trying to clean something of his, which had GO BACK TO YOUR GHETTO written on it. V.V. sighed. Unlike many others, he judged people solely by their abilities. Well, and their usefulness to him, but that was beside the point. Before he could do anything else, he saw the carrot-topped Shirley wave at him. He suppressed another sigh and to his own dislike, put on the mask he showed the school.

It was almost ironic. He, who had desired to strip the world and humanity of all masks, had been cast away when Charles revealed his true face, only to be saved by Charles's son Lelouch, the king of mask-wearers. And now he was masking himself as a cheerful, friendly little boy, since it would draw less suspicion and make gathering information a little easier. He put on a cheerful smile and ran towards her.

"Hi miss Shirley, how are you doing? Can I help you?" He asked while making large puppy-eyes. He was slightly disgusted at his own behavior, but for now, there was nothing he could do. And say what you want, it worked. Regrettably.

Shirley pulled him in a bone-crushing hug while ranting how 'Victor' was just too cute with a few other girls agreeing and V.V. knew it would be a long, _long_ day.

-0-

Lelouch watched as Nunnally entered the living room. This would be one of the best evenings in a long time, Lelouch just knew it. He smiled. "Guess what Nunnally, I have a special surprise for you."

Nunnally tilted her head. "A surprise?"

Lelouch waved at Suzaku, who hesitantly entered and looked at Lelouch in a way that just screamed: _Are you really sure?_ Lelouch waved again and Suzaku stopped hesitating and put his hand on Nunnally's.

She recognized it and a few tears ran down her cheeks. "I knew it. I just knew you'd be alive."

Suzaku's gaze softened. "It's been a long time, Nunnally."

Seeing her happy and relieved expression made all the things they had to do and bear to get here well worth it, for both boys.

-0-

Dinner had been quite enjoyable, especially since Lelouch had relieved Sayoko of cooking for this evening and took charge of the kitchen himself. Afterwords, he had promised, in Suzaku's stead since his first friend seemed to have hit his head somewhere and was clearly unable to make decisions for himself, that Suzaku coming over for dinner would be a common occurrence here in their home in Ashford. Lelouch had every intention of having Suzaku here at least once a week, even if he'd have to drag him here by force.

Suddenly, he felt grateful for two things: 1. Being smart enough to not say that out loud, as it would have invariably lead to jokes about his lack of physical abilities and 2. That he'd kicked out V.V., seeing the boy sometimes seemed to have the ability to read minds and Lelouch had no intention of giving the blond immortal more ammunition to take shots at him.

But as an old saying so accurately states, all good things must come to an end, and this evening was no exception. Nunnally went to bed and Lelouch brought Suzaku to the door. There, Suzaku turned to him.

"It was great seeing Nunnally again, but I really don't think we should make our friendship publicly known."

Lelouch looked at him. "First of all, you have know idea how wrong that sounded." Suzaku seemed confused, then embarrassment took over when he realized what Lelouch meant. "Secondly," Lelouch continued "I'm starting to get sick of this. I don't care what people say or think of me and I see no reason I should keep my friendship a secret. Finally, what happened to you? Where is the proud, selfish boy I met at the Kururugi Shrine? Ever since we met again, you've been caring for everyone's damned needs but your own!"

Suzaku didn't quite know what to reply, even though he had a mental answer to Lelouch's question: _He died with his father_. But something told him that was not the answer Lelouch wanted to hear. So, he changed topic. "Anyways, I have to go. See you at school." With that, he was gone.

-0-

Normally, V.V. left Lelouch alone when he was in a bad mood. Today was different. He was calmly sitting on Lelouch's bed, his glare every bit as cold as Lelouch's.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't put something in your food and hand you to your fanclub, wrapped up like a Christmas present." He calmly stated, still silently amazed he had managed to escape the girls more or less in one piece.

As miserable as Lelouch's mood was, he could tell V.V. wasn't joking. "Is it such a crime to want to have a private dinner with a friend you haven't seen in almost seven years?"

After considering it, V.V. shrugged and gave it a rest. Then he looked at Lelouch. "So, now that you know you need an army, how are you going to get it?"

Lelouch thought about it. "Well, I'll need a few days to get certain materials. Fortunately, Rivalz organized a game of chess with a very wealthy nobleman who has just the transport I need. And with my Geass, I'm fairly certain he'll be willing to give it to me and for all intents and purposes, forget he ever had it."

V.V. snorted. "Let my guess, you'll recruit the terrorists from Shinjuku. That leaves pretty much the same problems Zero had, plus a few more. They need a name, they need a uniform, they need a symbol and most importantly, they need the perfect stage for a grand debut."

Lelouch smiled. "My thoughts exactly. I'm also working on a way to conquer Tokyo, but that's a mid- to long-term goal, I want to know that my army is suitably equipped to actually hold Tokyo and, by extension, Japan."

V.V. nodded. Not much point in conquering something when you're too weak to defend it afterwards. Lelouch's Geass would be good in creating what would seem like miracles, but he wasn't god.

"Let's start with the name. It should have a special meaning, and it should at least partly symbolize what they'd be doing. Or rather, what the public should think they're doing." he said.

Lelouch agreed. "Well, if I want public support, we must give the crowd what it wants. Everybody loves a hero, after all. And which people are known as the greatest heroes of all times?"

V.V. thought about it, then he grinned. "Knights. And seeing that you're aiming to fight the king, I would say you're a black knight, one of those who roamed the battlefields without a lord or an identity, fighting on the side that suited them best."

Lelouch laughed. "Indeed, the Black Knights has a nice ring to it. And I've already worked out a symbol." He tossed V.V. a piece of paper.

The blond chuckled. "How intriguing, it's the symbol of Geass slightly distorted, yet at the same time, it's a European sword with the tip pointing to the heavens. I'm guessing you already had most problems solved. Let me guess, old Willerbee is working overtime to get the uniforms ready, right?"

Lelouch nodded. "Now all I need is that transporter the noble will happily supply, and decide on a way to contact those terrorists."

V.V. raised a hand as if he was asking a question in school. "I think I know how to solve that problem. Kallen keeps that phone you gave her at Tokyo Tower with her at all times. She almost religiously checks for calls or messages."

This piece of information would truly simplify things for Lelouch. Said boy yawned. "Okay, enough scheming for today. V.V., you now have your own room, so please go there, I need some rest."

A short nod and Lelouch was alone. He dropped into bed, planning the meeting with the terrorists, the victory over his father, and the removal of Suzaku's status as Ashford's pariah.

-0-

The next school day was fairly uneventful, with Lelouch sleeping through class, Shirley throwing things at him to wake him up, and Suzaku dealing with insults and evil pranks. The only things out of the ordinary were that Sayoko had forgot to close the windows in Lelouch's living quarters, Lelouch had left the suitcase with Zero's costume opened and in the open, and a cat with a bandaged hind leg managed to sneak on campus. In short, it was a recipe for disaster.

-0-

Lelouch was running after the stupid cat that was wearing his Zero-mask, but true to V.V.'s and everyone else's jokes, he was too out-of-shape to catch it. In fact, not only was the cat getting further away, Lelouch also managed to run into a bush, losing sight of the damned couch-killer.

He summed up his current situation in a single word. "SHIT!"

-0-

V.V., who had coincidentally been looking out the window in time to see both the helmet-wearing cat and Lelouch _running_ after it, which was understandable but amazing nonetheless, found a few more words to describe what he saw.

"This can't be good."

And seconds later, Milly's voice broadcasted the message that whoever could catch the damned furball would get a kiss from one of the council-members. While V.V. knew he wasn't in direct danger of kissing someone, this would send the whole school after the feline. This just kept getting better and better. He felt a major headache coming, but for now, he had to get the mask before someone saw it. He knew Lelouch wouldn't be able to catch the cat to save their lives. Kinda ironic, since exactly those were on the line. V.V. started to run.

-0-

Lelouch was desperate. Not only was Suzaku of all people going up the stairs to catch the cat, Lelouch was facing the triple problem of exhaustion, fear of what would happen if Suzaku saw the mask and painful memories, summoned by Suzaku mentioning that old story with the bird. He shot a reply to the bird comment.

"Quit talking ancient history!" He nearly screamed.

Suzaku had laughter in his voice. "It was only seven years ago."

While that was true, Lelouch didn't see the point. What he did see was Suzaku running up the stairs while he needed a break.

But when he reached the window, Suzaku was almost halfway up the roof, and every second brought him closer to seeing the mask. Lelouch climbed the roof after Suzaku, but in his haste, he slipped, not that he'd ever admit it when asked by V.V..

Suzaku, alerted by Lelouch's shout, saw his best friend sliding towards the edge, and without a moment's hesitation, he slid down and grabbed Lelouch's arm and the window's edge. Unfortunately for him, his fingertips were a bit sweaty from the careful climb when he tried not to scare the cat away and he slipped.

Both boy's eyes widened when they skidded towards the edge, but suddenly, they stopped again. Suzaku looked up to see that a kid with blond air had grabbed his wrist and was slowly pulling them up.

Lelouch sighed in relief. "Victor, I have never been this glad to see you."

The boy, Victor, simply grimaced. "If you're done thanking me, mind trying to support yourselves? You two are heavy and I don't think I can pull you up if you act like dead weight."

Suzaku and Lelouch immediately complied and a few moments later, they were back on the roof.

Suzaku noticed Victor had already left and turned to Lelouch. "So, who was that kid?"

Lelouch, still gasping for breath, looked at him. "Victor Vincent Ashford. Milly's cousin."

Suzaku nodded before grinning. "You were pretty calm for a man on the verge of death."

Lelouch laughed. He had seen the cat loose the helmet and now the feline that nearly doomed them both was calmly sitting two feet away from them. "Yeah right, I was just limp with fear. Look at that cat, we nearly bit the dust to catch it and now it just sits there like nothing happened." Suzaku grabbed it and climbed back into the tower. Lelouch pretended to check his pockets for something, then he looked at Suzaku again. "Suzaku, I think I forgot something up here. Just go ahead, I'll be right behind you. Don't worry, I'll watch out."

Suzaku nodded and went down the stairs while Lelouch carefully climbed up the roof to get the mask.

-0-

When Suzaku left the tower cat in arms, nearly the entire campus was staring at him. He didn't know what to say, especially since he saw many cold glares. His heart sank, when a girl ran up to him.

"You saved him! Thank you so much. By the way, I'm Shirley."

A blue-haired boy gave him a pat on the back. "Way to go, new guy. Name's Rivalz, nice to meet you."

Then Milly, Suzaku had met her when he entered school, stepped up. "That cat was carrying something, wasn't it?"

Suzaku scratched his head. "Yeah, there was something on its head. But, I never really got a good look at it." unbeknown to him, the blond boy that had saved their lives was sighing in relief.

Milly on the other hand was upset. "That's it!" She shouted "The embarrassing secret that he's hiding."

"So that's it madam president?" Lelouch's voice came out of the doorway and a second later.

"And I thought I finally had some dirt on you." Milly mumbled. V.V. stared at her. Did it ever occur to her that what the cat had snatched could be something dangerous, like proof of Lelouch being related to the Emperor of Britannia? Then again, knowing such a secret and being unable to tell anybody was bound to be frustrating for Milly. Still, she should give such things a thought before acting.

Then, looking at Lelouch and Suzaku joking around with each other, a question came up. "So, do you two know each other?"

"But he's an E-Eleven." Nina said, causing both Lelouch and V.V. to frown.

Suzaku immediately tried to deny it. "No, we don..."

But Lelouch had enough of this, so he interrupted him. "He's my friend." The entire campus gasped. Lelouch, secretly called Ice-Prince for his attitude towards... well everyone, called Suzaku Kururugi his friend? But Lelouch wasn't done yet. "Madam president, would you permit him to join the Student Council?"

The answer to that could only be a solemn NO, at least in the minds of the other students. If they couldn't get into the one club with the hottest guys and girls, not by lack of trying, then this Eleven didn't stand a chance. But Milly had other plans.

"Well, you are the vice-president, so I guess I can't refuse." Needless to say, jaws were dropping through the floor and if it were physically possible, they would have reached the center of the Earth.

The other council-members, with the exception of Nina, took the news much better and welcomed Suzaku into their midst.

-0-

The next day, a day without classes, V.V. and Lelouch were having breakfast, Nunnally still asleep and planning to spend the day with Sayoko. V.V. was reading the newspaper, scanning the pages for anything of interest. Suddenly he snorted.

Lelouch looked up from his meal. "What's so funny?" Instead of answering, V.V. handed him the paper and Lelouch saw the caricature.

In the background, there was a giant military boot, submerged in the ground up to the ankle. A small trail of earth led to a molehill in the lower center of the picture, where a mole wearing Zero's mask was throwing up a peace-sign. Right above the mole's head was the other boot, the word BRITANNIA on the side of it, apparently swiftly coming down to smash the mole. The picture was titled: A MINOR ANNOYANCE

Lelouch laughed. "What do you think? Is this referring to the attacks from below or just vanishing in the underground?"

V.V. shrugged. "Probably both with a good mix of propaganda to keep the masses from hailing Zero as a savior. His record is impressive, he beat two members of the Royal Family without killing either." They were keeping their conversation casual in case someone heard them, but a pleased smile appeared on both faces.

Lelouch stood up. "Anyways squirt, I have a chess-match with a noble and a little discussion with him, so keep out of trouble while I'm gone, okay pipsqueak?"

"The short-jokes again? Real mature. And now begone." V.V. growled.

Lelouch left and V.V. gave him a twenty second head-start before he pulled out his cellphone.

He dialed a number and waited. He grinned when he heard the voice answering.

"Hello?" It was obviously a girl's voice and V.V.'s smile widened.

"Hey Shirley, it's me. I just thought you might want to know that Lelouch left the house a minute ago. He's going gambling with Rivalz."

The reply was deafening. "WHAAT?" Then the line went dead and V.V. sprinted to a window just in time to see Shirley running towards Lelouch, a fierce battle-cry on her lips and something that faintly resembled a lasso in her hands.

"YOU'RE NOT GOING GAMBLING LULU!" It was funny to see Lelouch's eyes widen, even from afar, as he started to run and reached Rivalz's bike just in time for a narrow escape. V.V. was still laughing when his phone rang. He answered it, but he only heard a single word.

"Traitor." Then Lelouch hung up. V.V. leaned on the window, looking at the sky.

"Revenge is sweet. But this advice is for both you and myself: Beware, for it devours you from the inside, leaving only void once fulfilled."

The cat, recently christened Arthur, came up to him and actually allowed V.V. to scratch his chin.

V.V.'s gaze softened as he looked at the cat. "Precious to you. You should never let go of what's precious to you, yet at the same time, you also shouldn't keep it prisoner. Be careful Lelouch, the path you wish to take is much harder than you can imagine."

-0-

Meanwhile, Clovis managed to leave his wheelchair, even if still leaned on a crutch. Being in that wheelchair, even if only for a few days, made him feel much worse about his younger half-sister, who was not only forced into that chair for the rest of her life, although he was researching some ways to alter that, but also cursed with blindness. He looked at a decree he had managed to get set in motion.

He smiled to himself when he remembered how he managed to get Cornelia to agree: bribery. He had offered her the only thing she really wanted, under the condition that it would not be revealed to the public. He had given her the painting of Lelouch, Nunnally and Lady Marianne, and in return she allowed his Art Week to take place annually.

"Just a few more days." he muttered to himself. "As soon as I can walk by myself again, I'll visit Ashford. Lelouch, I want to see Nunnally again, and I want answers."

-0-

Arthur yawned and showed his fangs and claws. V.V. looked at them. "Sorry, you're favorite scratch-post Suzaku is currently not here."

He had heard Suzaku was reassigned to the engineers, but V.V. suspected he was now on Lloyd Asplund's payroll. He looked at the sky.

"Things are about to get interesting." He muttered. "And very, very rough."

* * *

Chapter 10 is complete. Took a bit to get done, but here it is. The entire chapter was really just Suzaku at Ashford, with a few minor, yet perhaps vital changes. It was actually more canon than I wanted, but I just didn't find much I could change.

I made V.V. against blind racism because in the Directorate, I'm sure they weren't all Britannians. If I was V.V., I'd want the kids I contract with to have nothing to loose and I'd need them available. And let's be honest, were is it easier to find desperate kids than in the conquered Areas?

And at the end of the chapter, V.V. waited long enough for Lelouch to get away before he let Shirley loose on him. He wouldn't hinder the operation, but that doesn't mean he can't have some fun with Lelouch getting the short end of the stick. And I just figured Lelouch geassed one of his chess-opponents (read victims) to get the giant car. I mean, how else would he get close to a noble.

And I described the F.L.E.I.J.A like I did because, hell, it took a huge chunk out of Ashford or whatever the building was, yet not even the windows of what remained were shattered. And nothing got blown away, not even the damned grass.

Next chapter will be the creation of the Black Knights and the Hotel Incident. A few more changes than in this chapter, but I can't yet say to what extent.

Now on to the questions.

1. V.V. knows of F.L.E.I.J.A. and discussed it with Nina. How do you think will that effect the story? Will Britannia still get it, will nobody get it, or maybe the Black Knights will use it (Don't forget, they'll get Japan.)?

2. I've made a caricature since I figured the papers would just have stuff like this to calm the situation (or rile it up if a Japanese makes one). How did you like this? I'm considering adding a few caricatures and paintings (Clovis) into the story. Not many, just one every so often. Is the idea any good or should I dump it?

3. What did you like, dislike, etc...? Personally, I think this was too much canon and not enough fanon(?), but I hope it wasn't too bad.

4. Is there anything you want to see? Again, no promises, but I try.

5. Tell me what you want to tell me.

Normally I ask more questions, but here, I didn't find too many things to ask.

To y2k: I currently have no pairings planned, and quite frankly, I suck at them, but I'm always open to suggestions. That goes for anyone else. Oh, and Jeremiah saved Cornelia out of loyalty to the Royal Family, not affection.

To psyche_07: Thanks for the tip, you'll get your reunion in the next few chapters.

To All That Is Left Unsaid: Sorry, but at the moment, unveiling V.V. to Suzaku would be much too troublesome. Suzaku is still too naive and would probably ask questions in the military about him, which would call the hounds on V.V. and Lelouch before they have the ability to fend them off. Oh, and I forgot to mention this, but 'Victor' keeps his hair in a ponytail at the base of the neck with the majority of it hidden in the clothes, so nobody but Lelouch and Sayoko know his hair's that freakin long.

To Pwn Master Paladin: Thanks for the compliment, I do my best. As for your wish, I'm working on something, but I'll be honest: it'll take quite a while before I get there.

To teno-hikari: I'll go into details and reasons for V.V.'s imprisonment later, and about your review from chapter 8, no, it's not Luciano. But in my fic, Luciano will be looking up in blissful awe to Markus for the carnage he can cause on a battlefield.

To 2stupid: If I told you that, I'd be ruining the surprise now, wouldn't I? By the way, nice chapter.

Well, I've wrote a chapter, mainly to get past that scene, and upheld my connection with my readers. I've done my duty, now it's your turn, my readers.

Please Review


	11. Hostage Situation

Chapter 11

Disclaimer: If you haven't figured out that I don't own CG yet, then there's no point in saying it again.

* * *

Lelouch was, for once, in a good mood. The chess-match with the nobleman had been ridiculously easy and the little _business_ afterwords had been a walk in the park. He had even found the time to send Kallen a message, asking for a meeting with their terrorist group the day after tomorrow. He would have wanted it a bit sooner, but he needed to maintain the image that there was no hurry.

But his mood dropped slightly when he saw V.V. waiting for him. "What were you thinking? All of my plans will be shot to hell if Shirley starts tailing me! And you just let her loose on me when I'm getting a potentially vital tool in gaining the terrorists as my soldiers!"

V.V.'s grin was irritating. "Calm down, I gave you enough time to get away. I just felt like reminding you that there is a faster way of foot-based travel than slowly crawling at a pace that a snail would give you a head-start in a race."

Lelouch's eyebrow had started to switch as annoyance was flooding over him fast. "I'm assuming this has something to do with me mentioning your size, or lack of it?" He asked.

V.V. shrugged, not even bothering to hide his smirk. "It might. But onto a more important topic, I think I should meet the terrorists in person."

Lelouch really didn't like that idea. "I'm not sure that's a good idea. Scratch that, I'm almost 100% sure that that is a terrible idea. Why do you think it'd be good if they see me hanging around with a Britannian?"

V.V. looked at him. "Look Lelouch, if you like it or not, sooner or later they will have to meet me, so it's better if we get it over with sooner. Also, I can relay information to Kallen, once she knows that I'm Zero's accomplice. Also, I can hardly send all advice to Zero from here, where anyone can walk in or hear me speak and get us both in deep shit." There was another reason, but all in good time.

Lelouch had to concede the victory of this discussion to V.V., seeing no obvious flaw in what he said. Yet at the same time, he felt a major headache coming in fast. "The terrorists are not going to like this." He sighed.

V.V. had the decency to look apologetic. "I know, but they are, at least in my opinion, a bit above the rest. They'll take it without abandoning you. But even though passing me off as one of Britannia's experimental subjects would simplify things, I don't think they should learn of my immortality, or even my increased healing for that matter. At least not yet."

Lelouch nodded. "This" He said "is going to be a major pain."

V.V. had to agree.

-0-

Kallen was checking the phone Zero had given her, and had trouble suppressing a squeal. Zero had left a message. He was requesting a meeting with her entire group in two days. The location seemed a little weird, but perhaps it just meant he wouldn't send them all across Tokyo this time before meeting them in person. She hurried to a empty room to inform the others of this sudden turn of events.

The other students would remember that Kallen Stadtfeld was unusually cheerful that day.

-0-

Coincidentally the Student Council had planned a trip to the Lake Kawaguchi Hotel, just as the annual meeting over the Sakuradite was being held, exactly on the day Lelouch and V.V. were meeting the terrorists. Rivalz had to be at his job that day, Suzaku had military duties and Nunnally said she didn't feel like leaving Ashford that day. Which left three people to make up reasonable excuses for not going.

Lelouch took the simple way, saying he just didn't want to.

Kallen said she had an important appointment with a specialist that day. While most believed she was referring to a medical specialist, both V.V. and Lelouch had to smirk, seeing as they both caught the hidden meaning and admiring her ability to lead the others astray without lying. After all, Zero was, in a way, a specialist, just not in medicine.

V.V. was not left with many options, but then he remembered he looked like a little kid and said it would be boring for him.

After that, everyone excused themselves until only Lelouch, V.V. and Milly were left. Then V.V. pulled out a sheet of paper and handed it to Milly. The page was filled with names, but only the top half, the bottom was empty.

Milly looked at it. "Well, it's impressive, but I kinda hoped you had dirt on more nobles." She had asked V.V., or Victor as she knew him, to make a list with all the nobles he had blackmail on. It was a nice number, but the list of nobles easily fills ten pages.

V.V. looked at her. "That's not the list of nobles I have information on." She looked at him. He shrugged. "I started, but I was too lazy. That's the list of nobles I _don't_ have information on, or in one case," He looked at the name _Lloyd Asplund_ "who just doesn't care enough to be blackmailed. Writing that was easier and shorter."

Milly looked at the list again, then she stared at V.V. like he was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Lelouch blinked in surprise as Milly actually started to cry.

She pulled V.V. in a bone-crushing hug. "Oh my beloved cousin, where have you been all of my life?"

V.V. was starting to get uncomfortable. Not that he normally would have minded a hot beauty hugging him, but he had been hugged by Shirley and other random girls far too often in the last few days.

"Sorry to interrupt your show of affection Milly, but you're crushing him." Lelouch said. Milly released V.V. and looked at him sheepishly. She had actually forgotten he was still in the room. V.V. on the other hand considered stopping to take shots at Lelouch for a while. Or at least cut back.

"Anyways," She said in a futile attempt to regain some seriousness "it's a shame you can't come along to Kawaguchi, but if you don't want to, that's your choice. See you tomorrow."

With that, she was gone. Lelouch and V.V. looked at each other. "Should we prepare for your meeting?" V.V. asked.

Lelouch shrugged. "We might as well. Not like we have anything better to do."

-0-

During the two days until the meeting time had slowly crawled for Kallen, yet at the same time, they were past before she knew it. Right now, she, together with Ohgi and the others, was standing in front of a huge vehicle usually reserved for nobility. The only unsettling fact was that it was standing right where Zero's mail told them to meet them. Ohgi shrugged.

"I see only two possibilities." He said "Either this thing coincidentally parked here and Zero decided it was too risky, or... that thing belongs to Zero and he's inside."

Kallen nodded. "Only one way to find out." With that, she entered the vehicle, the others right behind her to come to her aid should there be an attack.

What they saw surprised them. There were two people inside. One was Zero, sitting on a couch and looking at them.

"Welcome." Zero said "From now on, this will be our hideout."

It was impressive, but the second figure sitting beside Zero was what caught everyone's attention. It was obviously a child, but the hair was so long that, now that the kid was sitting, it reached the floor, practically cloaking him/her, it was impossible to tell, and obscuring all details of the body. When the kid looked up, the eyes were of an irritating red, with a tinge of purple.

Zero seemed to notice where the attention was going and sighed. "This is V.V., my spy in enemy land. He has served me well so far and I hope you can give him at least the most basic respect, if only to prove yourselves better than Britannia."

Tamaki was the first to speak, or rather shout. "What the hell? He's a Britannian! What is one of them doing here? Zero, you can't be serious!"

The others were muttering, but Zero looked at them. "I can assure you he's trustworthy. He holds no love for Britannia, and should we be captured, his fate would be much worse than yours, perhaps worse than mine."

That left an impression on most of them. Zero had not only openly defied Britannia, but humiliated it twice and injured not one, but two members of the Royal Family. What had this boy done that his fate could be worse? Probably he just had the wrong parents.

Tamaki seemed ready to shout again, but Kallen grabbed his shoulder and turned him towards the others. "Let it go, Tamaki. Look how long his hair is, if I had to guess, I'd say he was probably locked away for a very long time before Zero recruited and most likely released him." Kallen whispered, and the others nodded.

Tamaki looked seriously pissed, but he nodded. "Fine. But if this comes back to bite us in the ass, don't say I didn't warn you."

Ohgi rolled his eyes. How dangerous could a little kid be? Especially if he couldn't even inform Britannia without sliding into a situation worse than theirs. "I think we'll take that chance. For now, let's check out our new hideout." Everyone nodded and quickly scattered, only a few amazed calls could be heard from them. Ohgi looked at Zero.

"Are you sure it's wise to ally yourself... yourselves with us?" He asked.

Zero shrugged. "Why not? We're comrades after all." He looked at Kallen. "Is there something bothering you?"

Kallen shook her head. "No, nothing. It's just, I have this feeling that I've seen V.V. before."

Zero sounded amused. "You have."

V.V. looked at her, pulled his hair back so it would look like a ponytail and smiled at her. "Hello Kallen, glad to see you're not as sick anymore." He said, unnerving cheerfulness in his voice.

Kallen gasped. "Victor? Victor Vincent Ashford? What are you doing here?"

V.V. smiled, but this time the smile was different. Kallen felt chills run down her spine. 'No child should have such a smile.' She thought.

Then V.V. spoke. "It's me Kallen, but my name is not Victor. That's an alias Milly Ashford was kind enough to allow me to use. My real name is something I've almost forgotten. I am V.V., nothing more, nothing less."

Kallen's eyes widened. "Is Milly on this too?"

V.V. shook his head. "No, she thinks I'm a just little kid who managed to piss off a nobleman enough to want me dead, and she was kind enough to shelter me. I am in Ashford as Zero's spy, and now that we are comrades, I will pass you information should the need arise."

Kallen was too shocked to do anything but nod. Before anyone could say or do anything else, one of the terrorists found the TV and turned it on. What it showed caught everyone's attention.

The Japan Liberation Front had hijacked the Lake Kawaguchi Hotel and taken everyone inside hostage. While the general focus was on the captured Chairman James, three people didn't fail to notice that the students who were mentioned were none other than the Student Council that had decided to visit the hotel.

Kallen was beyond shocked. She had to suppress a gasp when she saw Milly, Shirley and Nina with their hands behind their heads, the guns pointing at them clearly visible in the video.

V.V.'s face was an emotionless mask, but he felt a tinge of worry. Not so much for the girls themselves, but rather for what would happen to his cover if Milly died. Or at least that was what he kept telling himself.

Zero seemed unfazed, but that was only because the mask he was wearing. Behind that, he was biting his lip in frustration. He wanted to go rescue them, but he needed a plan. He was completely aware that the JLF saw their pride hurt by Zero's successes against Britannia and this was indirectly his fault.

He looked at V.V., his voice betraying none of his inner turmoil. "Who do you think is in charge of this?"

Kallen was confused, how should they know? Her jaw dropped slightly when V.V. answered. "Not Tohdoh, he's way too calm and careful to pull such an act. Probably not the JLF's leader either, Tohdoh would be with him in that case and this entire setup much smarter. If I had to guess, I'd say Kusakabe."

Not even three seconds later, the announcer proclaimed that it was indeed Kusakabe who orchestrated this disaster.

"I don't know if I should feel happy or sad about this." Tamaki said in one of his rare moments of insight "Because they're all gonna end up dead."

Zero nodded. "You're right, but I'd say that was their intention all along."

Ohgi looked at him. "What do you mean, Zero?"

Zero shrugged. "They destroyed all routes but one. They're completely trapped, as the only escape path they have is blocked by the Britannian army and they don't have the equipment to break through that. Britannia will never give into their demands and they know it. So basically, they planned to die there, declaring Japan still exists." With that, he rose and went upstairs towards his room, closely followed by V.V., leaving Kallen and the others to dwell in their thoughts.

-0-

Milly was nervous. These people seemed like they were serious when they said they'd kill anyone who even looked like he'd cause problems and they were all getting more and more stressed, both the hostages and the terrorists. She looked at Nina and her worries increased. Nina looked like she was in absolute panic and besides hugs and gentle pats on the back, Milly and Shirley couldn't do much to calm her down. The only good news was that Nunnally wasn't here. Milly didn't want to think about what would have happened to Nunnally, who in her wheelchair wouldn't have been able to hold their pace, especially up and down the stairs. Now all Milly could do was hope nobody felt like playing hero or insulted these men.

A few feet to their left, a pink-haired princess was cursing her luck. She had only come to observe, who could have guessed something like this would happen? She prayed that nothing would happen to these people, and that should the danger of one of them being hurt arise, that she was enough to stop it.

But unknown to Euphy, there was another girl who was having similar thoughts. Kaguya Sumeragi was wondering how Japanese could sink so low. She had accompanied Kirihara to this meeting, but during one of the breaks, she gave her guards the slip to look around. Now she regretted that. She only hoped things wouldn't spiral out of control.

-0-

Lelouch, or rather Zero, and V.V. were sitting together, staring at the TV as if the problem would solve itself if they stared hard enough. Of course, nothing ever solves itself by staring, and this was no exception.

"This is bad, Cornelia will sacrifice the hostages without a second thought before surrendering before terrorists." Zero muttered.

V.V. agreed. "That is her usual tactic, but why hasn't she used it yet? Is there something that keeps her from attacking? She doesn't care about the Chairman, so who or what could..." He stopped talking as realization hit them both at the same time.

"Euphemia." They both said at the same time.

Then Kallen entered. She looked at Zero. "Um, Zero, what do you think will happen to the hostages?"

Zero looked at her, the mask betraying no emotions. "In the end, there will be no reason to keep these Britannians alive."

V.V. caught the hidden meanings. First of all, he hadn't said if there was no reason for them to keep them alive or for the JLF. Secondly, while there may not be a reason for them to keep them alive, there was no reason to kill or even abandon them either.

Kallen apparently managed to completely miss the hidden meanings. "I see. I guess you're right."

A moment later, Ohgi walked in, carrying the boxes with the result of Willerbee's hard work. "Zero, I just found these. Should I hand them out to everyone? I mean, as far as gear goes it's pretty hip, but... We're just a resistance group."

Zero shot up. "You're wrong, we're not a resistance group!" He told them.

Ohgi was confused. "Then what are we?"

Zero straitened himself. "What we are..." He made a short pause "What we're trying to be,... are Knights for Justice!"

-0-

Suzaku was already sitting in the cockpit of the Lancelot, but he had yet to receive orders to sortie. The terrorists had found a way to place a linear cannon onto Knightmares, Glasgows if Lloyd's guess was correct, and were using that to effectively block the underground supply passage, the only other route to the Hotel that had not been cut off. In fact, only a single Sutherland had manged to return more or less in one piece after being under the cannon's fire. Jeremiah Gottwald had managed to avoid the first two rounds before being forced to retreat when the cannon raised voltage and therefore speed and stopping-power of their volleys.

The situation was tense, and even Suzaku felt like there would be a catastrophe coming soon. He looked at Cecile and Lloyd.

"Why hasn't the Lancelot been deployed yet?" He asked. Cecile and Lloyd shrugged before the latter spoke.

"Princess Cornelia wants to win without relying on the numbers, but in this case, I think there's something else that's keeping her from rushing in, hostages be damned, and simply crushing them. But I have no idea what that could be, just a few suspicions."

But then their attention was captured by the turn of events happening at the top of the Hotel. Suzaku saw a man with tied arms being shoved towards the edge.

"They wouldn't... Don't do it." He muttered to himself, only to be proven wrong a second later, when the man was pushed over the edge.

Suzaku's eyes widened. "NOOOO!"

-0-

Diethard stared at his colleague. "What do you mean, Zero stole the van? What the hell were those idiots doing?"

The man seemed to shrink under Diethard's cold gaze. "They said that when they noticed what was happening, it was already over."

The man babbled a bit more, but Diethard decided to ignore him. Zero was here, and that held his attention. The man had yet to fail to impress and fascinate him, and Diethard couldn't wait to see what Zero had in store for them this time.

-0-

Inside of the Hotel, things were not going too well. The tension was thick enough to be cut with a knife and two girls, both royalty in their own way were praying for a calm and peaceful ending to this day, Nina's xenophobia reached a never-before seen peak. When one of the men assigned to watch her made a short stop directly in front of her, she simply couldn't keep her mouth shut.

"An... Eleven." She whispered, but loud enough for the man to clearly hear her.

"What did you say?" That shout shattered all hopes of a bloodless end to this, unless a miracle occurred. "WE'RE NOT ELEVEN, WE'RE JAPANESE!"

Milly knew all was lost, so there was little point in being nice. "Yes, we're aware of that." She hissed.

The soldier didn't change his tone. "THEN CORRECT HER!"

Shirley finally lost her patience as well. "Fine, we'll correct her!"

The soldier seemed ready to kill them. "Why you...!"

Euphemia tried to stand up, but one of her bodyguards grabbed her wrist to keep her down.

Kaguya on the other hand had long since gave anyone who might have stopped her the slip, so she stood up and jumped between the girls and the soldier.

"Leave them alone." Everyone blinked in surprise, even the soldier. He could see the girl was Japanese, but why did she try to save Britannians?

"Get out of my way." He hissed. The girl shook her head.

"No. Why are you doing this?`what do you intend to prove by showing that you, the big man with the machine-gun, can beat up a few unarmed girls?"

While the soldier could take a few things, insults to his pride was not one of them. He clenched his fist and slammed it into the girl's cheek. She went to the floor, landing in front of the girls she had protected, the defiant look that infuriated the soldier so much never leaving her eyes. He raised the gun to slam it into the floored girl.

That was were Euphemia drew a line. She stood up, ignoring her bodyguard's desperate attempts to stop her. "Leave them alone!" She called.

"Not another one." The soldier hissed, but he didn't bring the weapon down.

Euphemia raised her voice. "I am Euphemia li Britannia, third princess of the Empire. I demand you take me to your leader!"

That caught everyone's attention. She smiled at the little girl and the others she had protected. "Are you all alright?" She asked. While the Britannian girls could simply nod, the Japanese was not as shy.

"I've felt better, but I'll be fine." She muttered.

Euphy smiled. "That's good to hear." Then she was grabbed by the guards and taken out of the room. Only two guards stayed behind, both guarding the door.

Kaguya smiled at the girls. "I must apologize for my countryman's behavior. I hope you will not judge all of us based on his sad example."

While Milly, completely aware of Nina's xenophobia, had expected the girl to act frightened or at least disgusted, Nina's behavior pleasantly surprised her. After what seemed to be a short inner struggle, she tried to smile at the Japanese girl, but she was still a bit nervous. "T-Thank you for helping me."

Kaguya's smile widened. "Of course I did, what that man did was shameful, disgusting and very bad reputation for his honest, hardworking countrymen and women. By the way, I'm Kaguya."

Nina smiled, but it still seemed a bit strained . "I'm Nina, n-nice to meet you."

Shirley immediately liked the black-haired girl. "I'm Shirley. I hope we can be friends."

Milly nodded. "And I'm Milly Ashford. If...Once we get out of this, feel free to visit us at Ashford Academy."

Kaguya looked at her. "I'm looking forward to it."

Unbeknownst to them, two important changes had happened inside of Nina. First of all, she had gone the first step to overcoming her xenophobia, even if she was still a long way from being free of it.

And one other thought had entered her mind when she saw the soldier. 'I will never let my creation fall into their hands without an effective way to stop it. Should it fall into such hands, I'll make sure it'll be useless!'

-0-

Zero calmly stood on top of the news-van like a king would ride his prized stallion. The army let him pass until they surrounded him. He could hear the Black Knights below whispering worried conversations, but he paid no attention to it. Right now he had to focus on something else. If he screwed this up, he'd be dead. Then he was looking right at Cornelia.

"Well well, we finally meet in person. Are you a member of the JLF? Or perhaps you intend to help us? No matter, right now, our concerns take priority over yours." She drew her gunblade. "So for your acts against the Empire, I hereby..."

Lelouch interrupted her. "Cornelia, which would you rather sacrifice? The foolish pride of the Empire," He could see her eyes narrow in anger "Or your sister Euphemia?" It was amusing to see all confidence instantly leave her face, replaced by fear and worry.

"What are you saying?" She asked, but her voice was shaky.

Beneath his mask, Lelouch smirked. They had been right, Euphemia had somehow managed to get herself caught up in that mess. Now to shatter all resistance. "I said I am able to rescue her!"

The last spark of resistance faded from her eyes. He had won.

-0-

Suzaku looked at Zero, who was now driving onto the bridge and towards the Hotel. So far, nobody had shot him, so whatever he was planning seemed to be working. Lloyd looked at him.

"Why are we letting Zero just drive in there?" Suzaku asked.

Lloyd shrugged. "Cornelia wants to use him as a distraction to buy more time until the next hostage dies. Oh, and by the way, the Lancelot has orders to prepare for sortie. It seems the higher-ups want to use you as bait to get a chance at taking out that pesky linear cannon and storming the hotel. You're supposed to try and get past the cannon and destroy the foundation to submerge the Hotel. It'll sink slow enough that we should be able to rescue the hostages. Should things get too ruff, feel free to abort this mission. Lancelot may be damaged, that is not acceptable."

Suzaku nodded. "If this gives the hostages a chance to be rescued, then I have no problems with this."

"Well then, get ready. I'm looking forward to that data, we need it now more than ever." Lloyd told him.

Cecile looked up. "You'll do fine, Suzaku. And Lloyd, how far are you with the Vincent?"

Lloyd sighed. "The basic Frame is done, but the inside is still one big hole. The Vincent is practically hollow. We need more information before we can start the fine-tuning."

Cecile shrugged and turned back to Suzaku. "Well, you should get ready Suzaku. Be careful."

Suzaku nodded. Now, it was all or nothing.

-0-

Zero was standing before the instigators of this mess, namely Kusakabe and his goons, and was having trouble keeping his contempt hidden. He almost laughed when Kusakabe demanded to see his face with the reason that it would be disrespectful not to. That man, who had ignored the most basic respect for his fellow humans, was trying to label him disrespectful? But he held it in.

"Very well. But before I do, what were you trying to accomplish with this entire hostage affair?"

Kusakabe looked at him as if he had just asked if he could add 2 and 2. "To gain attention, what else? We're showing the world that the Japanese aren't dead yet!"

Behind his mask, Lelouch's face had dropped. To gain attention? Small children screamed and broke things when they wanted to gain attention! Lelouch hadn't expected much, but he wouldn't have thought such a pitiful reason was all it took for such men to do such acts. He could only find one word for these beings, they lost the title of humans in his eyes, before him.

"Disgusting." He muttered.

Kusakabe looked up. "What did you say?"

Zero looked at them. "You people are obsolete."

One of the men jumped up, but Kusakabe signaled him to remain calm. "Explain what you mean."

Zero seemed to gather breath, but a knock at the door interrupted him. "Sir, I brought the girl I radioed about. She claims she's Princess Euphemia."

Lelouch's eyes widened. Kusakabe seemed to tire of him, as he jumped up and drew his sword. "THERE'S NO POINT TALKING ANY MORE!" He shouted.

Lelouch couldn't agree more. The visor slid open, unveiling his left eye in all it's terrible glory. "Die." He calmly ordered.

While the soldiers pulled out their guns and simply shot themselves, Kusakabe was a bit more creative. He plunged the sword into himself and moved it to the right, as if he were committing Seppukku. Lelouch shrugged. Everyone had a choice, his had lain in how he died.

The door flung open and Zero shot the man who came storming in in the shoulder just as Kusakabe gave his last breath.

"Calm down." The mask man said. "They committed suicide when they realized how meaningless this operation really was. Now, I believe you should surrender." All over the Hotel, the Black Knights held the JLF-members at gunpoint.

Zero raised his communicator. "To all Black Knights, once you've overpowered the JLF, find the hostages and proceed with them as planned. Take care of all injured there may be, I want to be out of here in ten."

He then looked at Euphemia, the only other living person in the room. "Perhaps we should hold our conversation in a different room." Zero said, looking at the corpses around him.

Euphemia was unable to do anything but nod.

Once they were in a different room Zero looked at her. "So princess Euphemia, I guess I should welcome you here in Area 11, for the time being. It would seem that the title of sub-viceroy does not last on your shoulders."

Euphemia straitened herself. "Fortunately no, that title is now in the hands of my brother Clovis, while my sister Cornelia is the new viceroy."

Zero shrugged. "I guess the demotion was due to my handiwork. In my own way, I respect Clovis. He looked me fearlessly in the eye and was willing to take the punishment for failing to stop the massacre. That was why I spared his life."

Euphy looked at him. "If you respect my brother so much why did you shoot him?"

Zero's reply sent shivers up her spine. "Because he was an offspring of the Britannian Emperor. That reminds me, you're one of his children too, aren't you?"

Zero pointed the gun at her and Euphy was expecting him to pull the trigger, but Zero let his arm sink. "Then again, you apparently tried to willingly sacrifice yourself for the commoners. You haven't changed." Euphy noticed his voice had softened at that last part. Did he know her? But when he continued, his voice was emotionless. "I see no reason to shoot you. You have done nothing that deserves punishment, and who your parents are was not your choice. But for now, we shall take our leave."

Then the entire Hotel started to shake and a white Knightmare was flying towards them. 'You again.' Lelouch thought to himself, but he kept his voice calm. "It would appear we have to leave a little faster than I've planned." With that, he triggered the bombs the Black Knights had planted and grabbed Euphy to bring her to the now shortest way out.

-0-

Suzaku had managed to dodge or block the rounds of the cannon and in the end, he managed to destroy it with the VARIS. He then destroyed the support-pillars and jumped back to see how efficient the Lancelot had done it's duty. What he saw was Zero in one of the windows, then a series of explosions. His eyes widened. "MY FRIENDS!" He charged at the collapsing building.

Cornelia screamed in horror. "Euphy!"

Jeremiah punched the wall beside him again and again, unaware of his bleeding knuckles. "Not again! Why must this happen?"

Lloyd had been calm, until Suzaku started driving his precious Lancelot into an Armageddon of falling debris. "Warrant Officer Kururugi, DON'T!"

But to no avail. Suzaku dashed in, but of course there was nothing he could do. After the roof of the Hotel collided with the ground. Suzaku could do nothing but sit there in his cockpit, but for Lloyd, Lancelot's lack of any scratch was more than enough. He slumped together in relief. Suzaku slumped together, but not in relief, but in grief.

"I couldn't save them." He muttered. "Not a single one. I failed. Not again!"

Then a small armada of lifeboats broke through the smoke, surrounding a single ship.

Suzaku saw the Student Council in one of the boats, Euphy in a different one. "Thank god." He whispered as he returned to Lloyd and Cecile.

Lloyd sighed. "That could have gone better, but the data we acquired makes it all worth it."

Cecile looked at him. "Yes, I'm glad this all ended so well, but what do you think Zero has planned with the hostages?"

Lloyd shrugged. "He'll probably use them as a passive shield and make his escape while we're busy collecting them all. We don't shoot them because they haven't actually done anything to them and they won't do anything because Kururugi would blast them if they tried. Zero might make a speech, but that's about it."

Cecile sighed. "You're right. But I still think we should have used the other particles for the shield."

Lloyd nodded. "And I agree. But while the ones we currently use have that one flaw, the other ones cost almost twice as much and the difference in efficiency is practically non-existent. So, we don't have a choice but wait."

-0-

Lelouch smirked behind his Zero-mask. The situation was practically solved and all that was left was to unveil his Black Knights to the world.

"My dear Britannians, have no fear. The hostages are all safe and sound. I, Zero, return them to you unharmed." He smirked inwardly as he pictured Cornelia's reaction.

-0-

And indeed, Cornelia was furious. "Of all the brazen audacity! If we attack, they will become your hostages!"

Guilford, who stood beside his princess, straitened his glasses. "Perhaps, but if he wants to retain his current image, he'll have no choice but to let them go. But of course, by the time we collect them all, Zero will be long gone."

Cornelia nodded. "It seems we have no other choice. Enjoy your freedom while it lasts, Zero, for the next time we meet, I'll drag you out into the open. Never shall a terrorist walk freely while there is still a single breath left in me."

Diethard was pulled out of his fascination by a call from some pansies who wanted to stop Zero's speech before the good part even started, so Diethard simply took the blame. He knew that this would probably be the end of his career, but he couldn't bring himself to give a damn. All he wanted to do was witness what he knew would be the beginning of a new age.

-0-

The lights on the ship went on and Zero could be seen, flanked on both sides by people whose faces were masked by a mix out of a cap and a visor. Zero took a step forward.

"People." He called. "Fear us, or rally behind us as you see fit. We are the Black Knights. We stand behind those who have no weapons to wield, may the be Eleven or Britannian. The JLF took innocent civilians hostage and then cowardly executed them. There was no point or meaning in that act, therefor I have punished them. As I have punished the cowardly advisers of prince Clovis, who orchestrated the massacre of countless Elevens. Wherever the weak are oppressed by the strong, we shall appear again. No matter who our foe is, for only those who may shoot are those who are prepared to be shot. Only those who are prepared to be killed may kill."

-0-

Back at Ashford, V.V. looked at the Television with interest. He had decided not to accompany Lelouch, knowing that if Charles saw him on TV with some group, for example the Black Knights, the Rounds would be swarming Area 11, even if the massive hole Markus's little temper-tantrum after Lelouch's and Nunnally's 'death' had left in them had yet to fully heal.

But for now, Cornelia and her troops would be all they would have to face in the near future, perhaps with aid of the Glaston Knights or one or the other Geass-user.

"Buckle up," V.V. muttered "the ride's going to get a little bumpy from here on."

-0-

Lelouch knew it was time to finish the speech, before Cornelia's patience run out. "We, the Black Knights, shall stand in judgment of this world."

After that, a smaller smokescreen was all it took to get the hell out of there. Fortunately, Cornelia seemed to let him go, most likely planning to catch him at the next meeting.

-0-

When Suzaku returned to base, he was surprised to find that beside Lloyd and Cecile, Jeremiah Gottwald was waiting for him.

"Kid, we need to talk." He said and Suzaku knew that refusing was not an option.

-0-

A few days later, Milly held him back after a council-meeting. "Lelouch," she began "I think you should know this. Next week has been declared Art Week, so there will be no school. But... prince Clovis has informed us that he plans to visit Ashford."

Lelouch's eyes widened to the size of saucers. Clovis was coming here? While Lelouch knew he would appear, he was still surprised by the action. He had to prepare.

* * *

Chapter 11 is hereby complete. This actually became longer than I had planned, but I just never found the right point to stop. This was supposed to come out much earlier, but the Document Manager was down.

I added Kaguya into the Hotel incident out of two reasons.

First, it's plausible for her to be there, since it was a Sakuradite convention and Kirihara would have been there. It would be possible he brought her along for educational purposes. And I think she would have stood up against oppression, even if the oppressors are Japanese.

Secondly, I just plain hate racism and wanted to at least weaken it in a character with such an important role, aka Nina. Not her character role, but her inventions. (Though I am considering expanding her role a bit)

Not much else to add here, so onto the questions

1. I let the Black Knights meet V.V., and yes, I do have a reason for doing that. How do you think V.V. will influence them?

2. Why do you think V.V. wanted to meet the Black Knights in the first place?

3. I gave a pretty good hint why Markus was imprisoned by the emperor. Can anyone guess what happened?

4. How did you like this chapter, what can I do better, etc...?

5. Something I wanted to ask for a while now. On a scale from 1 to 10, 1 being miserable and 10 being plain awesome, how good is this fic?

6. Is there anything you want to see? (Again, no promises, but I'll try)

7. Tell me what you want to tell me.

To whoever left the long message from 2009-06-05: First of all, thanks for your review and the corrections, I have no problems with constructive criticism. Secondly, would you mind introducing yourself?

To psyche_07: Yes, Markus is still alive, I'll go into why later. I'll reveal more of him in due time, but he's not that important for now. And your reunion will occur next chapter. I try hard for my readers.

To Gryphon Turboclaw: Thanks for your review, the information is appreciated. As for my typos, I'm sorry. But Tokio is actually the German way to write it, so I request amnesty for that one.

I've done my duty, now it is your turn.

Please Review


	12. The Calm before the Storm

Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't own CG

* * *

Lelouch sighed. Ashford was going crazy because of Art Week and Clovis's visit. He started to wonder how many people in Ashford were still sane. The results were depressing. He counted himself, V.V., Nunnally and maybe Suzaku. But Suzaku seemed lost in thoughts.

And he was right. Suzaku was thinking about the talk he had with Jeremiah.

-0-

_Flashback_

Jeremiah had brought Suzaku to a small Japanese restaurant, one of the few that still existed. He looked at the boy with a serious expression.

Suzaku was nervous. He had no idea why the veteran had called him. "So, why did you want to talk to me?"

Jeremiah sighed. "First of all, I want to thank you for saving me when the purists tried to kill me."

Suzaku smiled. "No problem. It was my pleasure. Four against one is really unfair."

Jeremiah felt the urge to face-fault. "That was another thing I wanted to talk about. You are a bit too naive to be a truly efficient soldier."

Suzaku blinked. He was about to object, but Jeremiah didn't let him speak. "I'm not saying that you're not doing a good job, but you're not looking at reality. It's impossible to save everyone, no matter how good you are. And you are a soldier, your job is to kill, not to save."

Suzaku blinked. "But the actions taken are all for the greater good."

Jeremiah sadly shook his head. "Yes, for the greater good of Britannia, not the world. Don't misunderstand, I am a patriot, but as such, I can't help but wonder why you are here. You see, there is a difference between blind patriotism and true patriotism. A blind patriot believes that his country is always right and could do no wrong, true patriots like myself see that their country has faults, but is willing to fight for it anyway. What are you fighting for?"

Suzaku straitened himself. "I will not let anyone die again. I firmly believe that Britannia can be changed for the better, but not by terrorism, but from within."

Jeremiah laughed. Then he grabbed his small sake-cup and emptied it. "Not bad, but I prefer whine. Sorry I laughed, but... Aren't you going to drink?"

Suzaku shook his head. "I'm still too young, so..."

Jeremiah looked at him. "Kid, you're a soldier. You're a killer in the service of Britannia, as much as you want to deny it. If you're old enough to kill, you're old enough to drink."

Suzaku didn't like being called a killer, but he slowly grabbed his small cup and took a sip. He knew Jeremiah had chosen this place for him and that he might be insulted if Suzaku refused the drink. Jeremiah nodded and continued.

"Anyways, what you said was idealistic and naive to the point of idiocy. The Britannian society is based on power. The weak devour the strong, and as long as Britannia is the strongest, it won't change. Why should the Britannian lords and ladies give up the privileges they have as the strong ones? After all, who really minds slaves as long as he's one of the owners?"

Suzaku blinked. He couldn't really say anything against that, but he was not willing to agree, since that would mean that he'd be forced to admit Zero was right. "Well, I never said it was easy, but..."

Jeremiah looked at him. "Why do you fight?"

Suzaku stared. "What?"

Jeremiah's look was solemn. "I fight to protect the Royal Family. But for what reason do you fight?"

Suzaku looked at the floor. "I... fight... to..."

Jeremiah shook his head. "Look, I'm not trying to tell you to quit the army and join Zero, but there is something you should remember, a saying from my ancestors' homeland. _Wer für nichts steht, wird für etwas fallen__._ It roughly translates to: _He who stands for nothing will fall for something._" With that he turned around, gave Suzaku a last pat on the shoulder and left.

Suzaku looked at his cup before emptying it. It had been a really tough day.

_Flashback end_

-0-

Suzaku shook his head to get the memories out of his head, together with the hangover the relatively small cup of sake had caused. Suzaku had found out the hard way that he didn't have a high tolerance for alcohol. If he ever drunk a bottle with friends, he would probably wake up the next morning in a place and situation he really didn't want to be in with a splitting headache.

Then he returned to duty, carrying brushes, blank canvasses and other things.

-0-

Kallen was equally lost in thought. In the few days between the unveiling of the Black Knights and the current day, they had revealed the corruption of the politicians and government officials, helped the poor people and were working on the permanent end of the Refrain-smuggle. They had even received a few new Knightmares and V.V. had hinted that there was a special machine Zero had planned for her.

-0-

Clovis had come to Ashford, but incognito. He had hid his hair beneath a hat and wore normal clothes. He had even gone through the trouble of sending his guards on a wild goose-chase, just to be alone for his discussion.

He looked through a window and had to suppress a laugh. He saw Lelouch sitting on a small podium while there was a group of people was drawing him. Then a boy seemed to correct his pose until he was wearing a hilariously clueless expression. Clovis and most of their siblings would have paid entrance to see him like that. Then Clovis had to snicker when the girls started throwing things at the boy.

Well, it was time for a face-to-face meeting with his brother.

-0-

Lelouch had left the academy during a break to walk to a local park, where he met Kallen. After a short incident with a Japanese hotdog-seller and a few Britannian punks Lelouch _convinced_ to leave and never beat on another Japanese again, he took a seat. The discussion was going back and forth, until Lelouch pushed her over the edge.

"The world will not be changed easily. That's why Lelouch Lamperouge sits here on the sideline, commenting all with his vast knowledge. You lead an easier life if you bow your head to Britannia."

The resulting slap almost dislocated his jaw. Kallen shouted at him and left. Lelouch couldn't help but smile. Not counting the pain, pissing people off was still amusing. But it was time to return for him as well.

-0-

Lelouch was walking towards the student council clubhouse when he noticed a man with hat and sunglasses standing in the shadows of a few trees. He called. "I'm sorry, but today is not open for public, so I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave."

The man came towards him and took of his glasses. "I'm sure you can make an exception."

Lelouch's eyes widened. "Clovis! I thought you were coming tomorrow! What are you doing here?"

Clovis rolled his eyes. "Yes, I'm coming tomorrow, but then I'll be surrounded by guards, so a private conversation will be impossible. So I unofficially came today. By the way, what do you mean, open for public?"

Lelouch laughed. "Well, our student council president is Milly Ashford. If you don't know her, she's got a flare for the extraordinary, so she organizes loads of events and parties, to which usually everyone is invited."

Clovis nodded, he had heard of the Ashfords' school parties. "Anyways, do you think I could talk to Nunnally? And afterwords, I'd like to have a few words with you. Oh, and how much does Nunnally know?"

"Nothing!" Lelouch hissed "And I want to keep it that way. She's suffered enough, I don't want to drag her into another war."

That sounded like the Lelouch Clovis knew and cared for, so he didn't pry any further.

-0-

Nunnally was curious. Her brother called her down, claiming to have another surprise for her. And when she came down, she felt a hand softly grab hers. It felt familiar, but Nunnally couldn't tell from where. Then she heard a voice. "It's good to see you again, Nunnally."

Her eyes widened. "Brother Clovis, is that you?"

Clovis smiled. "Yes, it's me. How are you doing?"

Nunnally was worried. "I'm fine, but... Does this mean we have to go back to Britannia?"

The answer was reassuring. "No, of course not. I found you, but that doesn't mean the Empire did. You have no idea how upset we were when we heard that father had banished you two. It took four days until Euphy stopped crying. I myself was pretty upset as well, but as a man, I couldn't cry. It would be a blow to my honor. Cornelia was furious, I mean, really furious. Even Nonette was afraid to go near her, and that's saying something. And Schneizel protested for three weeks, he was incredibly determined. He went to father every day to reason with him, but to no avail. But after you were declared dead, all hell broke loose."

Lelouch had been more than surprised to learn that so many of his siblings had tried to help him. He'd always thought they had been abandoned by everyone. "What happened after we were declared dead?"

Clovis sighed. "Cornelia and Schneizel were about to lay down their posts and renounce their claims to the throne, but the Emperor used Euphy as a bargaining chip to keep their service. To this day, they never forgave him for that. But they stayed and doubled their efforts to keep such a tragedy from ever happening again. Euphy locked herself up in her room and cried for three weeks before we could get her to come back out. But what Markus did shocked the world."

Lelouch remembered the Knight of Two. The boy who, while not much older than him, had gained the second-highest post the Empire could grant, and Markus had told him that the only reason he wasn't Knight of One was that he didn't care about the emperor and didn't want to be his guard, seeing he had no problem with letting him die. "What did he do?"

Clovis looked out the window, but his thoughts were far away. "When he heard war broke out in Japan, he grabbed a jet, he actually threw the original pilot out the window, and went there himself. He looked for you everywhere, but he couldn't find you. Then the emperor summoned him. He went to the emperor, thirsting for blood. The other Rounds tried to stop him, you may recall that we had every position filled back then, but they were hardly a delay. The only ones who survived were Waldstein, Nonette, the at that time Knight of Twelve Luciano Bradley and the Knight of Eleven at the time, Dorothea Ernst. The emperor had a picture of you and Nunnally on the wall, and that distracted Markus long enough for a dart with enough tranquilizer to knock out an elephant to hit him. But Markus did draw blood from father. After the dart hit him, he threw his sword as a last-ditch effort and it pierced the emperor's left shoulder. No permanent damage, but that was probably the closest father came to death since his coronation. Trust me, he was the most frightening thing I saw in my life, although Shinjuku is a close second."

Both Lelouch and Nunnally were amazed. Markus had been their best friend, even though he had hated the emperor and disliked their mother, but to go this far for them... "What happened to him?" Lelouch asked.

Clovis shrugged. " Nobody knows. Father locked him up somewhere, but as to where... I guess father and maybe Waldstein are the only ones who could answer that. But on a different topic, how are you two? How have you been? What happened in these years?"

-0-

While Lelouch and Nunnally did some catching up with their brother, V.V., who was once again just outside the door, was remembering the day before Lelouch and Nunnaly were banished. It was quite funny actually, he had correctly predicted Markus's actions, but Charles hadn't listened.

-0-

_Flashback: The evening before the banishment_

_"I'm telling you Charles, that is not wise. Why are you sending your own family away?" V.V. asked._

_Charles looked at him. "I have no need for the weak."_

_V.V.'s eyes widened. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that? I must have misheard you. For a second, you sounded exactly like father. You know, the man we killed all those years ago to keep such tragedies from happening? You, me and Marianne. Do you remember Marianne? She was the mother of the children you're about to send to certain death." V.V. and Marianne hadn't always been eye-to-eye, in fact she was a major annoyance, but Charles predecessor as emperor had used the exact same words before throwing them away like garbage when their mother died._

_Charles glared at him. "If you cared so much about Marianne, then why didn't you save her? Why didn't you give her your Code?"_

_V.V.'s gaze softened. So that was what was going on. Charles was grieving and trying to push everything that reminded her of his lost love away from him. He sighed. "You are in mourning Charles, and that's why I forgive you. But have you forgotten what D.D. told us about the Code? It can only be passed on to a Geass-user who reached the peak of his power, and said user can only receive a Code from the Code-bearer he is in a pact with. Marianne fulfilled neither requirement, so even if I had made a contract with her, I wouldn't have been able to save her."_

_Charles was shocked. He had indeed forgotten what the man who had given them Geass had told them. "You're right. But my answer will not change."_

_V.V. was getting annoyed. "If not for parental feelings, then you should think about your precious Rounds. What do you think will happen if the vi Britannia-siblings die in Japan?"_

_Charles snorted. "The Rounds are loyal to me alone, that albino will not act against my will."_

_V.V. had to laugh. "What have you been smoking? Markus Nachtjagd is THE most dangerous person in this world, stop fooling yourself. We both know where his loyalties lie. Not with Marianne, not with you, and certainly not with me. He cares for nobody but Lelouch and Nunnally. If they die because of your actions, he'll cause a bloodbath. Even you won't escape unscathed."_

_"You overestimate him. He may have Geass, but so do most of the other Rounds. He can't win." Charles said._

_"Need I remind you that his Geass is the worst possible one to face in combat? His Geass, while not specifically designed for that, can be called a Geass-breaker. He can keep others from casting it and even temporarily halt the effects of certain Geasses. Not to mention that it gives him an incredible edge in combat, which nobody has yet overcome. The reason he's not Knight of One is that he hates you, not because he's weaker than Bismark. Neither Bismark nor any other Round stands a chance against him, he could probably kill them all even if they ganged up on him." V.V. stated. But his reasoning fell on deaf ears._

_"I have spoken my last word. We both have more important things to do, so farewell." It was a clear message._

_V.V. spun around and swiftly reached the door before giving one last warning. "You will regret this Charles. Mark my words, because of your stubbornness blood will be spilled, including your own!"_

_When he left the throne-room, he noticed that a servant had obviously seen him and heard his last words, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He gave young Rolo, who was hidden in a place the servant couldn't see, a signal._

_The poor servant later told everyone who was willing, or unwilling, to listen that the Pendragon Phantom had visited Charles zi Britannia and warned him not to send his children away._

_End of Flashback_

-0-

V.V. pulled himself out of his memories just in time to hear Nunnaly leaving to rest, leaving Lelouch and Clovis alone. He grinned. Now things were about to get interesting.

-0-

As soon as Nunnally had vanished and both brothers were sure she couldn't hear anything, things became serious.

"I want answers." Clovis said.

Lelouch shrugged. "Don't we all?"

Clovis rolled his eyes. "Very funny, you know exactly what I mean."

Lelouch turned dead serious. "Yeah, I know. I'm Zero because I can't agree with father's ideals, but I'm also not stupid enough to think that I could change anything as a prince. Britannia has only a few kinds of figures on the board. A king, a few knights and pawns. And I refuse to be a pawn. If you're wondering about Saitama, I originally didn't want to collapse the entire thing, but the terrorists I had tried to organize abandoned ship at the first hint of trouble, so I had to use my last resort. I didn't think it would take the MCC down with it, the floor was weaker than I thought. But Saitama taught me that I needed an army to fight Britannia, hence the Black Knights."

Clovis nodded. "That answers most of my questions. And I must admit, in the few days since they were unveiled, your Knights did more good than the police in the last few years, to my shame. Would you mind if I sent you the names of a few corrupted officials who are making my life hell?"

Lelouch handed him a cellphone. "Secure line. Nobody can listen to our conversations with these unless they press their ears against it while we talk. Maybe we can... stay in touch?"

Clovis grinned. He had a feeling his job was about to get much easier. Especially if some of those who blocked him and his attempts at equality, with the exception of Cornelia, were unveiled as the corrupt bastards they were. He also had a line to Lelouch and Nunnally, so there could be a few meetings, or at least a phone-call.

He looked at Lelouch. "Well, it looks like it's time for me to go, before Cornelia releases the hounds to find me. Ever since Shinjuku, she is really overprotective towards me and Euphy. She nearly skinned a poor waiter who spilled some juice on Euphy because she feared it might be an assassination-attempt."

At this point, V.V. flinched behind the door. He had actually used that method to poison a few people. It didn't take much, just a generous amount of a special poison he had developed himself mixed in said juice. It was lethal and nearly impossible to discover in an autopsy and best of all, it was absorbed through the skin, meaning that having it spilled on you was really all it took. V.V. was perhaps not such a good practical assassin, but he could devise excellent plans and create a lot of nasty things, from poisons and gadgets to Knightmares.

Clovis continued. "I'll pay Ashford an official visit in five days, you should keep Nunnally and yourself away, since the place will be swarming with reporters and cameras."

Lelouch nodded. "Thanks for the warning. My number is on the speed-dial, so call me if you need something. I won't call unless it's an emergency, but don't forget to set a password so that only you have access to it."

Clovis nodded, waved and left. Lelouch took a seat. It had been an exhausting day, and the day wasn't over yet. "Come out V.V., I know you're listening."

The door opened and the boy entered. "That went well." He said.

Lelouch nodded. They now had a potential helper within the highest ranks of Britannian society. "I agree, but now it is time for Zero to start working. What do we have for tonight?"

V.V. seemed to think. "We have a corrupt politician who supports the Refrain-smuggle. Tomorrow we raid a warehouse where said substance is believed to be stored."

Lelouch nodded. "Well then, let's get to work."

A sadistic smile spread over V.V.'s face. "Let the manhunt begin."

-0-

Things had gone well, and the Black Knights were the only ones left in the meeting place of three corrupt politicians and a number of Refrain-dealers, who were all set up in a place were they would be clearly visible to the public. Let's see Britannia trying to cover that up.

While V.V. never went along while there were people or machines who could get a glimpse of him, once they were gone, he checked everything for information, both for himself, Lelouch and the Black Knights. He was especially interested in Kallen. The girl had the potential to surpass the Knight of One and Markus, as long as they didn't use their Geass.

The others were still around, checking the place out as well, when Tamaki ran against a shelf that was standing next to V.V., who glared at the man. Then he noticed something was falling from the top and caught it. In his hand lay a vial of Refrain.

Lelouch had been coincidentally looking at V.V. when the boy's face twisted in rage as he threw something against the wall. It was obviously made of glass, as it shattered into millions of pieces. The only other person to see it was Kallen. Ohgi then found that the entire top-shelf was filled with Refrain-vials. V.V. seemed to have calmed down as he pocketed a few of the vials for research purposes. Then V.V. felt a hand on his shoulder and looked into Zero's mask.

"What was that about?" The masked man asked.

"Not now." V.V. replied, but quiet enough so that only Lelouch could hear him. After all, in front of the Black Knights, V.V. was a emotionless boy that completely obeyed Zero. Basically V.V. was imitating Rolo's behavior around him.

Zero nodded. This looked personal, and personal issues shouldn't be discussed with so many eavesdroppers, especially if said eavesdroppers are supposed to believe you have the emotional depth of a rock.

-0-

A few hours later, V.V. and Lelouch were alone at Ashford. Lelouch looked at him. "Okay, we're alone. What problem do you have with Refrain? I find the stuff disgusting as well, but you seem to hate it with a passion."

V.V. nodded. "I do. I'll keep this simple, I am very possessive. If I view something as mine, let it be a person or an object, then I dislike loosing it. I don't mind sharing or borrowing, but if I loose something to others, I can't stand it. Especially if others get an advantage out of it."

Lelouch nodded. "Okay, I have a feeling that I'm included in that, but I'll let it slide for now. My question is, what does this have to do with Refrain?"

A short sigh. "I told you that I have, or had, a number of Geass-users in the directorate. One of them was a little girl from Russia named Anastasia. Now you have to understand that I lent your father Geass-users for different purposes, assassinations for example. So I lent him Anastasia for what he called harmless research. She died there, I never saw her corpse. That little girl had lost everything, her only happiness was the past. She wished to share her happiness with others, so what do you think was her Geass?"

Lelouch's eyes widened. "The ability to make others relive their happiest moments. Don't tell me..."

V.V.'s voice was bitter. "Three weeks after her death, a new drug appeared. You know it as Refrain. That's why Refrain can't be cured. The addiction it causes is unlike any other drug's effect. They altered the original power, but it still is based on Geass. It is not a chemical that causes the addiction, but an alteration in the victim's brainwave pattern. Therefore, no therapy can cure it. And even if my Geass-Canceler would actually exist and work, it couldn't cure it either, seeing that Refrain is not really a Geass."

Lelouch gulped, then he had an idea. "Wait, if a change in the brainwave causes the addiction, and Geass alters brainwave patterns, could I cure it with my Geass?"

V.V. thought about it, then he shrugged. "Most likely not completely, but you would be able to reduce the addiction and the mental strain."

Lelouch nodded. It was better than nothing, and perhaps it could work on gaining loyalties from victims and their relatives. Still, he wanted a cure, just in case it would be used on him, Nunnally, or anyone he needed or simply didn't want to loose.

-0-

(I'm skipping the whole Milly-visits-Kallen-thing, since I have no idea what I should change. It happened, but I'm not writing about it.)

Kallen was seething with anger. Even though she was about to enter the cockpit of a Knightmare, she still couldn't get Lelouch's words out of her head. Zero seemed to notice this as well.

"What's wrong Kallen, you seem upset." He stated.

Kallen nodded. "It's nothing. Just a class-mate of mine said something I can't get out of my head. He had the audacity to say that one leads an easier life if one bows his head to Britannia."

Zero shrugged. "And I agree."

For a second, everything ground to a halt as everyone stared at Zero.

Then their leader spoke again. "If you bow your head to Britannia, your lives will be easier. There will be no life-or death decisions and less danger of dying young. That boy is absolutely right when he said that, but there is a difference between the easy way and the right way. You all have chosen the hardest way of life there is, but what you are doing is right."

Kallen nodded. It made sense, considering Lelouch had never said it was right, just that it was easy. Somewhat calmed down, she entered her cockpit. Still, Lelouch could have tried to fight the system.

She had no idea.

-0-

The evening was a catastrophe. Tamaki had somehow managed to overlook a Frame of the Knight-Police. Kallen was in a fight that would be nearly impossible to win. She had lost an arm and was practically unarmed, since her remaining arm was holding a limp woman that was obviously on Refrain. Both Lelouch and V.V., who was on the rails directly under the ceiling could only watch as the cop's frame pulled out his knife and tried to slam it into the cockpit, seeing as Kallen had managed to destroy the rifle.

They were beyond impressed when Kallen secured the enemy's Frame in place as she used her remaining Harken to smash the cop's cockpit into a giant metal construct. The cockpit was reduced to a with of maybe two feet and the cop was obviously dead. Nobody who wasn't made of paper could survive that.

V.V. and Zero now were standing side by side, looking at the woman Kallen had carried with her now officially wrecked Glasgow. They had wondered why until she spoke. Then it was painfully obvious.

"So, this is her mother." Lelouch muttered.

For once, there was not a hint of sarcasm in V.V.'s voice. "I believe so. A mother... Are humans not foolish? We bind our hearts to things that seem so strong, yet they are taken from us so easily."

Lelouch nodded. "Kallen is lucky. Her mother still lives."

V.V.'s eyes never left the woman, even while the others pulled Kallen out of the wreckage of her Glasgow. His look was filled with sorrow. "Yes, she is. Loosing one's mother leaves a hole in the heart that never fully heals. No matter how you try to fill that void, the loss is still there. Sometimes unbearable, sometimes almost non-existent, but it's always there."

Lelouch couldn't have described it better himself, which meant that V.V. knew from personal experience what he was talking about. "We are not that different, are we?"

V.V. snorted. "We are very different. But we have much in common." 'More than you could imagine.' He mentally added, before continuing "But I'm hating Refrain more and more. We humans have a foolish desire for self-mutilation and self-destruction. Not only that, but we desire better and better ways to do it. No other creature does this. No mouse would ever get the idea to build a mouse-trap."

Lelouch couldn't help but agree. "Yes, we are the pinnacle of evolution and creation, we are the only race that is driving itself to extinction. And we are getting good at it."

Then Kallen was there and interrupted their philosophical discussion. Then Ohgi told them that they had to go. Kallen tried to take her mother, but Zero stopped her.

"I'm sorry, but we can't take her with us. You would be caught, and even if not, what will you do with her? We don't have the medical facilities to take care of her. She'll be fine, but we have to go." He said.

Kallen bit her lip, but Zero was right. "I'll be back." She whispered into her mother's ear, then they were gone, seconds before the police arrived.

-0-

The following day had been torture for Kallen. She couldn't bear the thought that while she was sitting around doing nothing, her mother was facing one of Britannia's infamous flash-trials. Then V.V. had passed her a note saying he wanted to talk to her after school. Perhaps this could take her mind of of her mother's fate.

When she arrived at the designated location, V.V. was already leaning against the wall, waiting for her.

Kallen straitened herself. "What do you want? Does this have something to with BK?"

But V.V. shook his head. "Not directly, no. This has something to do with you. I was wondering, you are a half-breed, no insult meant, so why did you choose your Japanese side as the one that you made the real you?"

Kallen blinked. This was not what she had been expecting. But she would answer. "I don't see how it's any of your business, but I'll answer. I was raised Japanese, mostly by my brother." At that point, V.V.'s eyebrow raised itself, but he waited for more. "My brother, half-brother actually, was 100% Japanese, and after Japan was conquered..." She trailed off.

Realization hit V.V. "He fought Britannia to regain Japan's independence, didn't he?"

Kallen nodded. "Yes, he always told me how it was his dream to see Japan free of her oppressors again. He wanted Japan to be free, not a slave. He was actually the one who created our resistance group, he and a few friends. But in the end, Britannia was too strong, and he was killed. I fight so that he wouldn't die in vain. I wish to see Japan freed as well, but my biggest wish that is not completely impossible is standing before my brother's grave with my healed and free mother and being able to say: We did it Naoto. It wasn't easy, but Japan is free again. I helped make it possible, and now all will turn out well. And I will make that possible, even if it costs me my soul!"

V.V. sighed. "That is a wonderful dream Kallen. You wish for happiness, as do we all. But unlike most, you wish for the happiness of others, not simply your own. You fight for your family and their dreams. I find that the best reason one can go into battle for. So, you are willing to sell your soul for the power to make such an important wish come true?"

Kallen was confused. What was this boy getting at? "Yes, why do you ask?"

A smile appeared on V.V.'s face that sent chills down Kallen's spine. That was not the smile of a child. Then V.V. spoke. "Very well, I find you worthy. In return for a favor, I will grant you a power that may help you tip the scale between you and Britannia. However, how useful that power will be depends on you alone."

Kallen thought he was joking, but he seemed serious. "What favor do you want me to do for you?"

The smile widened. "I'm not sure. When the time comes that I make up my mind, I'll tell you. Do you enter this contract?" He stretched out his hand.

Kallen steeled her resolve. "If this power can help free Japan, then I will do whatever is necessary. I hereby accept the terms of this contract!" She shook his hand, then the world was gone, replaced by a whirl of colors with random pictures, including a floating temple and the cruel smiling emperor.

Then she returned to her world, yet nothing would ever be the same again.

* * *

Chapter 12 is done. Took longer than I thought, but school is trying to crush us on the last yards. If this chapter doesn't tip the number of reviews over 100, I will be insulted. Should it reach 115-120, I will be very proud.

If there are mistakes or a slight drop in quality, please forgive me, I once again lack sleep.

Oh, and to whoever wrote the virus that crashed my computer to the point where I had to reformat everything: I HATE YOU! I had a few things almost done, and now I have to restart from scratch.

I guess you could call this a cliffhanger, but oh well. Kallen will have a Geass. Before anyone complains, this was always planned to happen. Actually, the idea for this story was born out of the thought to give Lelouch more Geass-users as allies, but we all know C.C. is way too picky to just grant Geass to anyone. So I thought: Who can give others Geass and is not so picky? I had the choice of creating an OC... or choosing V.V., who has an entire Directorate filled with Geass-users. They are little children, so V.V. obviously isn't too picky with who get's the power.

But to those who think this will end up with everyone getting powers and using them to overrun their enemies, I can assure you, that won't happen. The more of this story I wrote, the more I realized that Geass needs to be used like a sniper rifle, not a machine-gun. To all who didn't understand the comparison: Try harder, it's pretty easy. Basically, quality over quantity.

And I created Anastasia because it's really the only explanation I can come up with why a drug would have the ability to actually identify happy memories and then replaying them while blocking out reality.

I decided to use more Geass-users within the 'original' Rounds since I find it hard to believe that a man who is as focused on power as Charles would only strengthen his strongest knight, aka Bismark, if he saw the chance to make his entire elite more powerful.

As for the rankings of the Rounds, I figured that the current Rounds had a lot loss experience, so they were ranked lower. Nonette is the exception, she is skilled enough to fight Gino for his post (In my fic anyway), but she's happy with her seat. She was obviously made to be the Knight of Nine, it's obvious when you translate her name. As for Monica, she is Knight of Twelve in the current time, so back then she probably wasn't a Rounds yet.

And with this chapter, I have revealed a bit more about Markus. Now everyone knows what he did and who he cares for.

Well, now onto the questions.

1. I hinted that most of the Rounds had Geass. V.V. didn't repeat the process after Markus's actions, but how many Rounds have Geass?

2. What do you think is Markus's Geass? While you're at it can you try to sum up all you know about him?

3. I made up an explanation for Refrain's existence. I have no idea if this was used before, but how do you like it? Does it sound reasonable?

4. What do you think will Kallen's Geass be? What effects will this turn of events have?

5. Who else do you think could get a Geass? What kind of Geass?

6. Since I like Jeremiah, I wanted to show he is smart enough to see Britannia's faults, but still upholds his loyalty. How do you like the nobler, saner, wiser and plainly spoken more awesome Jeremiah I created?

7. How did you like this Chapter? What was good, what was bad, on a scale from 1 to 10, etc...?

8. Tell me what you want to tell me.

To Lord Sia: Not a bad idea, I might use it later on, but it was really not an option for last chapter. I seriously doubt that the military would allow the Black Knights to pull their name through the dirt while they were on an unarmed ship prime for target-practice.

To Gryphon Turboclaw: With your ideas for Markus, you were close but not quite right. Since he is a Geass-user as well, I'll admit you had no way of knowing that, he knows the true Marianne enough to dislike her. But he is fond of Lelouch and Nunnaly, as I've hinted many times.

To All That Is Left Unsaid: You were right again, only that Markus killed the Knights of 3 ,4 ,5, 6, 7, 8 and 10. With his betrayal, the Rounds lost 2/3's of their numbers, and most of their strength. And there is a reason I mentioned the particles. Care to guess?

For now, I'm done. Your turn:

Please Review


	13. Before the Battle

Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I don't own CG

* * *

Kallen felt weird. This boy, V.V., had just offered her power in form of a contract. Kallen hadn't taken the contract-thing serious and only agreed out of two reasons. One, because she was indeed willing to sell her soul if it gave her the edge needed to free Japan, and secondly because she wanted to know what V.V. was up to. She had expected that nothing would happen when she shook his hand, maybe even one of those handshake-shockers that were getting popular amongst the younger children.

What she hadn't expected was to suddenly land in Wonderland, even if it only lasted a second. When it was over, she looked at V.V., confused and a bit frightened.

"What was that?" She asked.

V.V. smiled. "That was the world of information. But onto more important matters. Do you feel any different? You should have an instinctive knowledge on how to activate it, but if it is to be used on others, then we'd need a guinea pig."

Kallen had no idea what V.V. was talking about, but she decided to worry about that later. She suddenly had a feeling that she really could do something she couldn't do before. It was like a switch that turned the power on, with a number of levers. She tried pushing the first one forward, and suddenly her vision became much more focused. She could see things more clearly and detailed, and much more at once. The second lever gave her hearing a major boost, enabling her to hear her own heart, V.V.'s heart and conversations that were held far behind the walls. She deactivated it and told V.V. what had happened.

"Interesting." He said. The mask of the little boy had completely vanished, replaced by one of the few things V.V. considered his true face: the face of a curious scientist. "You have the ability to enhance your senses. In combat, that is indeed a valuable ability. You are indeed a warrior."

At that moment, Lelouch appeared. "Ah Victor, I've been looking for you. There was something you said you... Am I interrupting something?" He asked in his friendly but distant tone.

Kallen shook her head. "No, I was just asking Victor about..." She looked at the boy for help with the excuse.

But to her surprise, V.V.'s smirk never left his face. "We have just finished making a contract."

Lelouch's eyes widened. "You mean...?"

A nod. "Yes, I mean Geass."

Kallen was confused. What was going on? And just what was Geass?

Lelouch's attitude did a one-eighty. "V.V., why are you doing this to me? I have more than enough problems as it is."

V.V. smiled. "I know. But what you need more than anything else are trustworthy comrades. Your opponent has a small army of Geass-users to his disposal, do you really think that you alone are enough to beat them all?"

Lelouch had to admit that was unlikely. Before he had a chance to reply, Kallen spoke.

"Sorry to interrupt," She said. Lelouch and V.V. turned their heads to look at her. "but can someone please tell me what's going..." Before she could finish, a strong breeze swept over the ground, lifting Kallen's skirt. With the reflex and instinct all girls have, she pushed her skirt down while screaming "DON'T LOOK!"

Lelouch suddenly stumbled backwards as if he were punched while grabbing his face. V.V. noticed it. "What's wrong?"

Lelouch blinked. "I'm blind!"

"What?" V.V. tried to figure out what had caused this, then he saw red rings around Lelouch's eyes. Then he understood. A person under the influence of Geass will have these rings, but they are invisible to everyone who doesn't have a Code or was the caster.

Then Lelouch calmed down. "Well, not completely blind. I can tell the difference between light and dark, but that's it. Close your eyes and look into the sun. Then out your hands on your eyes. The difference between those two is pretty much all I can see right now. Please tell me this isn't permanent."

V.V. shook his head, not that Lelouch could see it. "I don't think so. This is something I haven't expected. It seems that Kallen's Geass is not sense-enhancement as I originally thought, but rather sensory manipulation. She can boost her own senses and reduce the senses of others to near-uselessness. Since she didn't look at you I'm guessing that the Geass is carried by sound waves instead of an optical signal."

Kallen blinked, noticing she had indeed activated her ability, Geass?, and deactivated it. Lelouch sighed in relief as his sight returned. Then it vanished again.

"Very funny, now can I have my sight back?" He got it back and glared at Kallen, who pointed at V.V..

"He told me to do it again to see if it worked on you again." She said.

Lelouch's glare wandered to V.V., who shrugged. "We must know what her Geass does, and I'm immune to Geass, so our options are kind of limited."

"Why do you keep doing this to me?" Lelouch asked.

"Because it's fun." V.V. answered. Lelouch felt the urge to slam his head against something.

V.V. seemed to have read his thoughts and grabbed a bag that was leaning on the wall beside him. He pulled out a piece of paper. On it was a red circle with some writing inside of it. Lelouch looked closer and read the message: BANG HEAD HERE

He glared again. "V.V., can I shoot you? Just once?" He asked.

Another grab into the bag and V.V. pulled out a phone-book and another piece of paper. He held the book behind his head while he placed the paper in a way that it covered his face. On the paper, all there was was a tilted cross, also red. Then V.V. spoke. "X marks the spot."

Lelouch was confused, but a glance at Kallen ended that. V.V. wanted to show her he was immortal, and who would believe him without proof? Also, Lelouch suspected V.V. was trying to build Lelouch's resistance against gore. So he pulled out his gun, attached a silencer, took aim and fired.

His aim was true and the bullet hit the center of the X and V.V. right between the eyes. The boy collapsed.

Kallen was staring in shock as Lelouch calmly disassembled his weapon and hid it. This boy had just shot V.V. without a moments hesitation. She reached for her dagger-pouch and was about to slit Lelouch's throat for killing a member of the Black Knights, when Lelouch spoke.

"Stop acting, it doesn't take that long." Who was he talking to? Had Lelouch gone mad? Then he walked to V.V.'s remains and kicked the corpse in the ribcage. Kallen was seething with rage. Did this guy have so little honor that he'd desecrate the dead? What happened next shattered all she thought she knew.

V.V. hissed in pain and sat up. He took a paper-handkerchief Lelouch offered and wiped his forehead clean while Lelouch flipped through the pages of the phone-book until he found the bullet. He pulled it out before turning back to V.V.

"You should wash the blood out of your hair, I'll dispose of the book."

"Sounds like a good idea. Remind me not to do that too often, it hurts like a bitch." V.V. replied.

Kallen snapped. "CAN SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?" She shouted.

"Shush!" Lelouch and V.V. hissed at the same time.

"Why the hell is V.V. standing? You shot him! He should be growing cold by now!" She said.

V.V. raised a brow. "I'm hurt. You want me to die, even after I bestowed upon you the power of the king, or queen in your case?"

Kallen stuttered. "What? N-No, that's not what I..."

Lelouch laughed. "If it makes you feel better, I had a similar reaction when I witnessed it the first time. The truth, plain and simple, is that V.V. is immortal. You can kill him, but he always comes back to life, unharmed." Lelouch said before muttering just loud enough for everyone to hear: "Regrettably."

Kallen blinked. "For the first time in my life, I understand what people mean when they say they need a drink."

Lelouch sighed. "I hear you. You'll get used to it, trust me."

V.V. looked up. "Funny you should mention trust, I think it's time you earned hers. You should tell her the truth."

Lelouch glared at him. "You have and honesty-fetish, you know that?" But the damage was done and Lelouch knew it. Kallen wouldn't leave him alone unless she got answers, and V.V. would block any attempt to sell her fairy-tales as truth.

He sighed. "Alright, suggest you sit down, this will take a while and has the potential to swipe you off your feet." Kallen sat down and he continued. "I won't tell you everything right now, because I think I'm entitled to some secrets, and quite frankly it's none of your business. But back on topic. As you have noticed, the pipsqueak over there can give humans special abilities. He doesn't age, but I have his age pinpointed to somewhere between 50 and a 100 years."

At that point, Kallen stared at V.V., disbelief in her eyes. He shrugged and motioned for Lelouch to continue.

Another sigh. "But to bring the topic onto myself. I met V.V. in Shinjuku." Kallen's eyes widened. "On the day of the massacre, yes. I found him in a capsule that terrorists stole, thinking it contained poison gas."

Now Kallen's eyes resembled saucers. "You mean, the massacre wasn't about poison gas, but... HIM?" She pointed at V.V., who shrugged.

"Considering what I can do, is it really that strange they want to keep my existence under-wraps?" He asked. "But I think Lelouch wasn't done yet."

Lelouch nodded. "Anyways, I had just pulled V.V. out of the capsule when the Royal Guard decided to crash the party. Someone detonating the driver cabin of the transporter saved my hide, but eventually they cornered me in a warehouse. I was against the wall, a small forest of guns facing me. I was officially screwed. Then the brat jumped in the line of fire, taking a bullet. Then he gave me Geass, and I killed them all."

"Technically, they killed themselves." V.V. reminded.

Kallen gulped. What could have such power? "Point taken. In case you're wondering Kallen, my Geass allows me to give others orders they cannot refuse or remember afterwords. They have a blackout during the time they fulfill my orders, they also forget the time directly before and after my Geass is used. It only works once per person and I need direct eye contact."

Kallen paled. Such a power was frightening. Then a horrible thought popped into her head. "Did you use that power on me?" She didn't know what would be worse. A no, meaning she could never look into his eyes again, or a yes, which opened countless possibilities on what he had ordered. Was she soiled? Lelouch didn't seem like that type of person, but he still was a teenage boy with hormones going a mile a minute. "Did you use it on me?" She asked.

Lelouch seemed to hesitate, then he nodded. Kallen paled. "What did you order me to do?"

Lelouch blinked. Kallen jumped up, tackled him which caused him to slam into the wall, grabbed his collar and shook him, connecting his head with the wall for a few times. "WHAT DID YOU MAKE ME DO?" She shouted.

A grin was splitting V.V.'s face in half. "Maybe he'll answer you if you stop bashing his skull into the wall."

Kallen stopped shaking him, but her grip was still like a vice. "Talk." She ordered.

Lelouch rubbed the back of his head in pain. When he saw Kallen's glare, he realized that right now, with all the new revelations that completely shattered her entire world still pounding on her confused mind, she was mentally unstable and would possible be willing and definitely able to kill him. He raised his hands in defense. "Nothing, I swear! All I did was make you answer my questions!"

V.V. smirked. "Well, that's vague."

Lelouch gave him a hate-filled glare. "You're not helping." He hissed.

Kallen's mind was still in panic of what she might have revealed to him. "What? What did I say?" It was like having to ask the next day what shit you pulled when you were drunk at lat night's party, only much worse. She started shaking Lelouch again.

"OUCH! I'm not a rag-doll, stop shaking me! All I asked you if you were the Glasgow-pilot from Shinjuku and why you fought. That's all, I swear on my life!" Lelouch said, now desperate to get out of Kallen's vice-like grip.

Kallen dropped him, but out of surprise, not mercy. "You know I was the Glasgow-pilot? You know I'm a resistance-member?" She drew her knife.

Lelouch, now that he could freely breathe again, was gaining confidence and smiled, his eyes never leaving the tip of the blade, ready to dodge should push come to shove. "Of course I do, Q1."

He knew he was in deep shit, and that V.V. found the entire situation far too amusing to let him escape without giving away his identity. 'Well, in for a penny, in for a pound. Since she is now a Geass-user, I will have to tell her eventually. No point in delaying it. If she learned the truth after a certain picture in her mind has solidified, or even worse, after she fell in love with Zero, it could crush to the point were she might abandon me in the worst possible situation.' He waited until she connected the dots.

And Kallen didn't disappoint. "Q1? How do you... You can't be!"

Lelouch's grin widened. "Lelouch Lamperouge does not enter the stage, for he can change nothing. Zero however... He may change the world."

Now V.V. stood up. "It's been a bit much for today so why don't you sleep over it and we'll resume this tomorrow. You may give Zero and his Black Knights your heart or not, but don't forget this: You have entered this pact. You lost the right to back down the moment you sealed it. You are now a participant in the true war behind the scenes, and you will remain one until it is over. If we don't win this, we will be hunted for the rest of our lives. If we cannot shape our own world, we WILL perish in this one. The emperor will never allow such power to roam free in his world." With that, he turned around and left.

"He's such a drama-queen." Lelouch muttered, before turning his head to Kallen. "I won't force you to remain by my side, as we will spill rivers of blood for our goal, and that will include the blood of the innocent. But V.V. has a point. If we don't build ourselves a place where we can live in peace, we will be hunted. I'll see you tomorrow." He started to walk, but then he turned to her one more time.

"And before I forget, ask V.V. about the history of Refrain. I'm sure you'll find it most... enlightening."

With that, he had killed two birds with one stone. Once Kallen found out that the emperor invented Refrain, she'd follow him to hell. Not that he didn't trust her determination, he had felt it quite painfully the other day, but better safe than sorry, as they say. They would soon get the Guren, and Kallen was the only one he believed capable of piloting it. As for the other bird, after being grilled like that, he just wanted V.V. to suffer an equal interrogation.

-0-

Suzaku was still thinking about the words of Jeremiah Gottwald. The man had been sincere, and Suzaku could tell that he respected him, even though he was an Eleven. But his words were something Suzaku still couldn't agree with. He wasn't stupid, so he realized that there was truth in them, it was unlikely that many nobles would give up what they were used to. Many of them couldn't even if they wanted, seeing they had no skills whatsoever and would fall into poverty if separated from their wealth. But he still couldn't accept that.

If the nobles had no skills, they could be taught. It would take effort, but Suzaku was anything but lazy. Pacified, he focused on the Lancelot he was currently piloting, according to Lloyd for information-related purposes. Though he failed to see how piloting through an oversized obstacle-course while Sutherlands were firing at him with what looked like giant paintball-guns.

Lloyd on the other hand was hard-pressed not to jump up and down in joy. The boy truly was a gift from god. Nearly twenty Sutherlands were firing at Suzaku and the boy had yet to take a hit. The data they had was already enough to fix all of the Club's glitches, but Lloyd wanted more data to perfect the Vincent-test type before the model went into mass-production. He didn't have a pilot for the Club anyway, so there was no point in hurrying to fix it.

-0-

Villetta was concerned. She had questioned Jeremiah about the memory-loss he and she both experienced. He hadn't been able to give her any more leads, but he was determined to find out what had caused him to betray his ideals and allow Zero to escape.

Their search had led them to Diethard Ried, another man who had lost everything because of Zero. They had hoped to find an ally in their quest, maybe giving away too much information. But the man was sharp as a knife, having deduced the entire planned operation simply from them mentioning Narita.

Diethard on the other hand felt the urge to laugh. He never cared much for his post, it kept him off the street, but that was all. Loosing his position in this already decayed state was therefore not a major blow to him. But when he had heard the rumor that the Black Knights were recruiting, he had gone through hell and high water to apply. But he hadn't yet officially tried, knowing that Zero would probably be wary of Britannians trying to enter. And now fate had given him just what he needed, in form of these two jokers blabbering out enough to deduce what the military was planning.

With this information, he could not only prove his loyalty, but it may very well set the stage for Zero's next miracle. Diethard felt his heart pounding in his chest at the mere thought of the man that Diethard knew would reshape the world, feeling more alive than he had in years.

Now all he had to do was wait until those two left and send the message. He wasn't worried about that woman, she seemed like the overzealous type that would get pesky, but not dangerous. Though one should keep an eye on her to make sure she wouldn't blindside an important person in their final find or something of the sort.

But Jeremiah Gottwald was another story. The man was dangerous, Diethard had known that the first moment he had seen the man. His desire for power had been superficial, Diethard knew all the man really wanted to do was serve those he was loyal to to the best of his abilities. And unfortunately for the empire's enemies, like Zero, the best of Jeremiah Gottwald's abilities was very good. The talent of a high-ranking Round with the mindset of a religious fanatic was a dangerous combination. Such men could not be bargained with, could not be bribed and only intimidated if you held their object of intoxication, in this case a member of the Royal Family, hostage.

Finally both soldiers left and Diethard prepared his application, together with all information he thought Zero could find even distinctively useful, in other words, he poured almost his entire knowledge in that application.

-0-

When Lelouch entered his room, he found V.V. there, sitting in front of _his_ computer.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

V.V. didn't look up. "I'm working on something against the Lancelot. It will most likely only work once, so there is no room for errors. But if this works, it will fry the entire software, effectively paralyzing it. It will be useful in either securing the Lancelot for our own uses, once you geass the pilot, that's the best-case-scenario, or it will allow a clean escape without it on your tail, which would be the worst-case."

Lelouch nodded. That seemed important enough. And it would explain why he did it on the computer in his room, if he did it in one of the computer-rooms and was caught, he'd have a hard time explaining what he was doing. Lelouch pulled out his laptop and went through the applications. He couldn't see what they had sent alongside their application, but he had their pictures and a short biography. One stood out from the rest. Instead of the usual tanned skin and brown or black hair, the man on the picture had blond hair, pale skin and he wore a confident smirk. Lelouch raised a brow.

"Looks too confident to be a spy. An extremist?" He muttered. V.V. looked up and at the man's picture, then he whistled.

"Diethard Ried. He's a reporter of sorts, and he's the best there's been. He made Clovis like a important, unbound nobleman and his reports both damned and saved a number of nobles, although the damning ones were not published under his name and nobody but me knows about them, not even your father. In the last few years, he's been busy in Area 11's news and mainly TV-business. He's a genius in terms of information handling, but he always seemed bored. I guess you're offering the kick he desires or something like that. The man probably sent you a small mountain of information, but he always puts the most important ones on top, so you don't have to go through everything right now."

Lelouch smirked. This man would be very useful indeed. Then he looked at V.V..

"I still don't like how you forged a contract with Kallen, forcing me to reveal practically everything but my heritage to her. Can you promise me that you won't give out any more contracts without telling me?" He asked.

V.V.'s eyes were glued to the computer. "I could, but no. To whom and how many people I give contracts is something you nave no control over, nor do you get an opinion in this case. But I can assure you that I'll only hand them out to those _I_ deem trustworthy and prepared."

Lelouch ground his teeth. V.V. had basically said that he would give Geass to anyone he wanted. His desire for revenge grew. But he would get it sooner than V.V. would ever believe possible, the next time the boy saw Kallen to be exact.

"Okay. By the way, I may or may not have mentioned that you know something about Refrain to Kallen."

V.V.'s fingers stopped pounding the keyboard. He raised his head and looked Lelouch strait in the eye, his face betraying no emotion. "You are such an asshole."

Lelouch's brow shot skywards. "Says the sadist stuck in the body of a big-mouthed squirt."

"Touche. But I now owe you revenge." V.V. said.

"No you don't. This is revenge for giving Kallen a Geass and having a blast while she tried to repaint the wall with my head."

V.V. shrugged. "Point taken, we're even." He said and turned his attention back to the computer before muttering "For now."

-0-

School had been another boring waste of slowly crawling time for Lelouch, V.V., and Kallen. Although Kallen had managed to corner V.V. and squeeze all he knew about Refrain out of him, an amused Lelouch leaning unseen on the window above their heads. The information about Refrain's origin had steeled her resolve to fight. V.V. had gotten his revenge when he convinced Kallen to try and find out the limits of her power by testing it on Lelouch. Kallen then decided to find out where her mother was to talk to her. To her immense surprise, she was not in a prison cell, but in a hospital.

She had been sentenced to twenty years of prison due to 'involvement' in drug-trafficking. When Kallen had heard that, she had been seething in rage. Not only had Britannia invented the plague of Refrain that broke families apart and destroyed what its makers had left of their victims lives, now they also punished the victims instead of the criminals. But she still wondered why Britannia had sent her mother to a hospital.

She had talked with her mother, although _to_ her mother would have been a better description, receiving only one sentence from her that could very well have come from a hallucination, but Kallen was certain that her mother understood her and wished her luck. Then the doors opened, Lelouch and V.V., dressed in school uniforms with the blond hiding his hair in his clothes, wearing baseball-cap and sunglasses, entering the room with flowers.

Lelouch shrugged. "It's only appropriate that we bring flowers to the sick mother of a close comrade." He said.

Something clicked in Kallen's head. "It was you, wasn't it?"

Lelouch and V.V. looked at her. "Whatever are you talking about?" They asked in complete synchronization.

Kallen was not in the mood for games. "You two know exactly what I'm talking about. You were the ones that arranged for my mother to be here." She accused.

Lelouch scratched the back of his head. "As much as I'd like to take credit for that, I'm innocent. Don't get me wrong, we were working on bringing her here, but someone beat us to the punch."

Kallen blinked. "You're saying someone else put her here, without you being involved?" Lelouch and V.V. nodded. "Who?"

Lelouch smiled. "The trail leads back to a certain nobleman that goes by the name of Stadtfeld. Did you know that many are convinced that you never forget your first love?"

Kallen's eyes widened to the size of saucers. "You're telling me that _my father_ was the one who had my mother moved here? But if he really cared for her that much, why did he get divorced and married that slut?" Her voice was filled with rage as she thought of her stepmother who used her father's absence to bring a different man to her bedroom every night.

Now V.V. spoke, seeing that he knew more about the big pictures than anyone else. "He was under pressure you can't even begin to imagine. When Japan fell, he was no longer married with an equal woman, but a Number. Do you know how your father is known amongst Britannia or the Areas?"

Kallen shrugged, she had no idea that her father had a nickname. Sure, he was one of the few nobles that actually worked instead of simply feeding off of their wealth, owning a number of factories and the like. He worked in the IT- and technology-department, but in the civil sector. He basically produced anything from cars to laptops, resulting in him rarely being at home.

V.V. sighed, he couldn't believe it. Kallen was the child of one of the few decent and honorable nobles there were, and she didn't even realize it. "Britannia secretly calls him Britannia's Tears, and with their mindset that doubles as an insult, although your old man takes pride in the name. To the Areas, he's known as the Angel of Mercy. He cares for his workers, actually paying them enough to take care of their families and have a bit to spare. If someone has an accident, work-related or not, he pays the hospital-bills. And if someone is too old or physically unable to remain working, he gives them their retirement pay instead of simply abandoning them."

Kallen couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Shouldn't father be bankrupt if he acts like that?"

V.V. shrugged in response. "His workers know what they have with him, so they pour all their efforts into their work. Many leading technologies come from him, and you should see what's going on when the Areas hear even a rumor that he plans to build another branch somewhere. They all bend backwards just to lure him to their Area, seeing that one of his buildings means the end of poverty for many people. Honestly, I'm not surprised that old Stadtfeld arranged his love a place in a hospital."

Lelouch smirked. "You are in no position to call anyone old. Oh, and you should come to tonight's meeting Kallen, there's something waiting for you that you might like."

Kallen raised a brow. "Does this have something to do with the 'delivery' we're getting?" She knew better than to outright mention the Black Knights in a hospital where anyone could be listening at the door.

Lelouch nodded. "Indeed it does."

At that point, V.V. looked at Lelouch. "I'd like to see the designs and graphics myself, I need them for a few calculations."

Lelouch shrugged. "I don't see why not, but how far is your other project?"

A small smile graced V.V.'s features. "The theory is complete. Give me two days, and I'll present you with what's needed."

Kallen had no idea what they were talking about, but it wasn't easy finding opportunities to talk to them. V.V. was usually around to talk to, as he wanted to stay close to his new contracts, but Lelouch was still impossible to get close to. If she tried too hard, people might start to think she _liked_ Lelouch, and that was the last thing she wanted. V.V. was constantly teasing them both about how they now were siblings and started discussing with himself if it would be incest if they slept with each other. Kallen was beginning to feel jealous of Lelouch. He got to shoot the annoying immortal in the head, even if it only served as anger management, as the boy would always stand up afterwords.

-0-

The evening had come swiftly and Kallen found herself standing in front of a row of Burai, Glasgows with Japanese modifications, staring in awe together with her friends and a batch of new recruits. Tamaki was acting like the big, experienced fighter and went to give the noobs, as they called them, instructions while the others went along to make sure that Tamaki wouldn't teach them too wrong. Having more people served no purpose if they blew themselves to smithereens trying to fire a missile.

When Kallen was standing alone, Zero, no Lelouch, walked up the her, in disguise of course. As hard as she tried, Lelouch and Zero were always separate entities in her mind. Lelouch was distant, aloof, clever but lazy and good-for-nothing, Zero was determined, cunning, hard-working, a genius in his own rights and most of all charismatic.

"They're all treating this like some sort of party." He said.

"Isn't it? Kyoto sent us all this, even the Guren over there. We made it, they see us as worthy." She said, a smile slowly gaining dominance over her face.

But Zero shook his head. "You're wrong Kallen, this is merely another test they give us. Kyoto backs multiple organizations, it merely means that we have caught their attention and they decided to see how far we could go with this. Either that, or we have a fan in Kyoto.

-0-

"Miles away, Kaguya suddenly had to sneeze violently.

"Are you alright, Kaguya-sama? You're not getting sick, are you?" One of her guards asked.

"I'm fine." Kaguya said as she waved off the worried looks. "Someone must be talking about me." she continued before mentally adding 'I hope it's Zero-sama.'

The guards rolled their eyes, but said nothing.

-0-

Kallen shrugged. "Either way, this is still amazing. I mean, just look at beauty over there." She pointed at the Guren.

Behind his mask, Lelouch smirked. "You like it?" Kallen nodded. "Good, because it's yours." With that, he tossed her the activation-key.

Kallen blinked. "Shouldn't you have this? We need the Guren's additional armor to protect our brightest head."

Zero sighed. "Kallen, you're an ace pilot. I'm a commander, I can live with a Burai until I find something with adequate defense. But right now with the Lancelot on our heels, we need an ace that can go toe to toe with that white monster. The Guren is the only Frame in non-Britannian hands that has a chance against the Lancelot, but not with me in the pilot seat. The Lancelot's pilot is very skilled, and should I try to fight him, even with equal Frames, he'd wipe the floor with me. Maybe I'm a tinge above the average pilot..."

At this point, V.V. looked up from his work and said "No chance in hell, you suck." before returning to assemble the ace up their sleeves against the Lancelot.

Lelouch ignored him and continued "...but I can't hold a candle against aces like you or the Lancelot's pilot. I have my areas of expertise, but piloting is not one of them. Besides, you have a reason to fight."

Kallen nodded, completely convinced. She looked at the key, then her fist clenched around it. The other members returned and V.V. became emotionless, even as Tamaki walked towards him.

"What are you doing Brit?" He asked.

"Constructing." Came the monotone reply. Kallen was still amazed how quickly V.V. could completely switch personalities. He changed them like normal people changed hats.

Tamaki was not satisfied. "What are ya building?"

"Classified." That reply infuriated Tamaki and he prepared to swipe everything of the table and onto the floor.

There Lelouch stepped in. "Tamaki, those objects are delicate, very expensive and most of all vital to our future operations. If you destroy them, there will be consequences."

Tamaki glared at them, but he didn't destroy the materials on the table. Instead, he looked at Kallen. "What the hell is that brat doing?"

Kallen couldn't resist. "It's called working Tamaki, you should try it sometime."

Everyone but Tamaki laughed at that, and Inoue added "I know you never heard of it before, but it's supposed to be good for you."

After the laughter finally died down, Ohgi handed Zero a file and asked what to do. Lelouch smirked behind his mask as he read the name Diethard Ried. This would be good. And the reporter didn't disappoint, as this was information about a scheduled attack on the JLF-headquarters at Narita. If this went the way Lelouch hoped, he could get rid of a few thorns in his side while he collected valuable pieces in this grand game. He was especially interested in Tohdoh and his Four Holy Swords. He'd need a bit of equipment, but what he needed could quickly be assembled.

"Ohgi, this weekend we're going hiking." He said. Ohgi's face paled a bit as worry flashed up in his eyes.

"Hiking?" He asked.

"Yes. To the Narita mountains."

* * *

Chapter 13 is done. 13 is supposed to be an unlucky number, but I never bought that. I'm hoping that the 13th chapter hasn't be bad for you to read.

I originally intended to write until I reached the point the battle started, but I'm going on a vacation starting Friday and still need to pack, so I don't have much time to write. I'm not sure how much writing I'll get done while on my five-week vacation, so updates may be a little slow. I'll try to find some time to write, but it's possible this is the last update for the next five weeks. I hope not, but it's possible.

I figured V.V. wouldn't want tensions between his contractors (read: potential tools, but he sees them as a bit more), so he indirectly forced as much truth out of Lelouch as he saw necessary to gain her trust, but Lelouch's heritage would've destroyed the trust, so Kallen doesn't know for now. Also, since Kallen knows Zero and will not be blindly obedient, Lelouch gives her more reasons for his actions. Since Kallen has a Geass, Lelouch sees her as an equal of sorts, so he gives her some information he would keep secret otherwise.

And I made Kallen's father a good guy because the way I see it, it was probably really him that got Kallen's mom a hospital bed. If it wasn't Lelouch, and it seemed like it wasn't, someone else with influence must have arranged it. And how many noblemen would give a shit about some Eleven maid hooked on Refrain? I rest my case.

Now onto my questions.

1. I revealed Kallen's Geass. It's combat oriented, as her wish, the freedom of Japan, cannot be a Geass-form. Instead, she got something that will give her an edge in the fight for Japan's freedom. By the way, balance is a sense as well. How do you like it?

2. V.V. is working on something major. What do you think it is?

3. The battle of Narita is drawing near. What do you think will change? What will be the same, what completely different?

4. And what I forgot to mention last chapter: Markus could beat all Rounds at once, but only if he uses his Geass. It gives him an edge in combat, the Geass-breaker is more of a side-effect. Skill-wise, he was slightly above Bismark, but by the time he makes his appearance, his skills are probably gonna be a bit rusty. Can anyone try to guess what Markus's Geass is?

5. The usual. What did you like, what can I do better, on a scale from 1 to 10...etc?

6. Tell me what you want to tell me.

To alchino: Yes, but it's going to be a while before that happens.

To 2stupid: You're probably right, but I can change that. And also, if you receive superpowers from a twerp with an intellect comparable to Einstein that can shoot his brains out and stand up like nothing happens, killing god doesn't sound all that crazy anymore, does it?

To MisterSP: Markus is not as overpowered as it originally sounds, I just forgot to mention some facts (See question 4). Also, when he killed the Rounds, the second corollary of the 16th law of Anime kicked into action. If you don't know what that means, the laws are all over the homepages or can easily be found with Google.

To All That Is Left Unsaid: I concede all your points, but why Lelouch called Charles Father: He was talking to Clovis, whose cooperation he wanted. So he didn't want Clovis to know just how intense his hatred for the emperor, and by extension, the rest of the Royal Family, really is. He is willing to spare those who prove they deserve mercy (Clovis, Euphie, maybe Cornelia and Schneizel), but there is no mercy for his family. And I really don't think Lelouch would want Clovis to know that.

To Griever: I'm taking that as constructive criticism, which I always welcome. The Geass won't be overused in my fic, it's more of a when-all-else-fails-kinda thing. An I know that giving an OC a Geass isn't a new idea, but I don't care. Gold is gold, doesn't matter if others have some as well. Now, I'm not comparing my story to gold (I'm not THAT arrogant), but the idea of giving an OC a Geass isn't that bad, it just depends on what you do with it afterwords.

I finished the chapter, hope you like it and say goodbye for now. See you all soon. Oh, and do me a favor

Please Review


	14. Narita

Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I don't own CG

* * *

Lelouch mentally steeled himself. Today he would lead the operation in Narita, and there was no room for failure. He had discussed the plan with V.V. and Kallen, who V.V. had insisted should be informed, to clarify a few things.

V.V. had looked at the schematics of the Guren, his main focus lying in the potential output of the Radiant Wave Surger, and the layout of the Narita mountains, which he had downloaded together with the layout of fifteen other Japanese mountains, just to be safe. He had pinpointed the most effective spot for Lelouch's plan and instructed Kallen to reduce the Surger's output to 73.528% for optimal performance.

Lelouch knew why V.V. had insisted on telling Kallen everything that wouldn't rally her against them. In V.V.'s eyes, he and Kallen were essentially equals, as they were both his contractors. While Lelouch had a bit higher status due to the fact that he was both the smarter one, though he'd admit Kallen's intelligence was way above average, and the leader of the Black Knights, therefore the main strategist, Kallen's skills laid in a field he was not too good at. He was an average Knightmare-pilot while she was an ace, and both he and V.V. knew that. In V.V.'s mind, Lelouch and Kallen were covering each others weaknesses, forming a near-perfect team. And as the saying goes, there's no I in team.

But right now he had other worries as he placed on his mask and prepared to enter his Burai to take out the sentry-post when V.V. showed up and tossed him something that had remarkable resemblance with a hand-grenade. Lelouch looked at him.

"This is what you were working on I take it?" He asked.

V.V. nodded. "While I hope you won't have to use it, seeing as it would currently require you to be outside of a Knightmare, if the shit hits the fan, use it. It basically works like a grenade, but it won't simply explode. For it to be effective, you have to..."

-0-

Kallen was tense. She was fully aware that they were heading into a do-or-die situation, and that she couldn't stay and aid her comrades as she had a crucial role in capturing Cornelia. The fact that V.V. had told her not to use her Geass unless _her _life was in jeopardy was also on her mind. It would have devastating effects, as she had learned that she had could somewhat control who got hit by her Geass, although she needed more practice, but it would also be too obvious, as people don't just suddenly go blind, and the fact that the Black Knights had Geass should not become public knowledge.

Add the fact that despite common belief, Knightmares were not soundproof, simply because even the best microphones and speakers would not only have a potentially critical lapse between the sound hitting the microphone and coming out of the speakers, which could cost seconds that should be used to dodge, said speakers would also blur certain important if not life-or-death information, namely from which direction did the sound come from and how far away is the sound's source?

After that, V.V. had given something to Lelouch, had a short talk and told them he wanted to try something and wouldn't be joining them in this operation. Kallen noticed Lelouch driving his private Burai away in order to _neutralize_ the JLF's sentry. It was time to move.

-0-

Jeremiah looked at Villetta. He had always been a man of honor, and when she had come to his aid at Kewel's attempted assassination, risking her life in the process, he had seen it as his duty to repay her, which was why he had volunteered to join the purist faction, he spat out at the thought of the organization he had been a member of, in their duty as rear guard. While it was unlikely that any danger would come over her, as the 'rear guard' was really just an excuse to keep the lot of them away from the battle, but with such an operation, it was possible that they'd meet a resistance fierce enough for Cornelia to send the hated purist faction into the battle.

The fact that Kururugi apparently hadn't yet realized the seriousness of the situation didn't raise his mood either. This battle might be enough to open the boy's eyes, and he hoped that the machine would be enough to save the kid's life.

And to be honest, Jeremiah had a very bad feeling about this whole operation. Something told him things would go down south, and all he could do right now was wait.

-0-

Lelouch was sitting in a cottage, two JLF-soldiers playing Go next to him. Not that they knew it, seeing as Lelouch had ordered them to ignore anything unusual during their shift. Looking back, that might have some disadvantages, considering that that command would also make them ignore Britannian units and calls for support, but that was their problem. V.V. had informed him that Tohdoh and his Four Holy Swords were not at the Narita-base, but picking up Modified Burais from Kyoto. They may be back in time for the end of the battle, but the chances of them getting caught up in their initial attack were slim to none.

Then he noticed there was someone outside the window. He replaced his mask and walked outside.

He found a green-haired woman, standing in front of him, looking at some snow. She turned around and Lelouch stared into amber eyes that held a timeless expression. He quickly regained focus.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" He asked.

The girl gave him a glance, then her gaze returned to the snow. "Take that mask off, I know who you are, Lelouch vi Britannia."

Lelouch was so shocked that he actually removed the helmet. "How do you know who I am?"

The girl ignored the question. "Do you know why snow is white?"

That was not what Lelouch had been expecting. "What?"

"Snow is white because it's forgotten what color it's supposed to be." She said.

Lelouch, well versed in philosophy, seeing it's uses when convincing the masses, realized this girl was apparently not interested in conversations about herself, so he played along.

"Perhaps, but is the snow's white not beautiful?" The girl was honestly surprised by his reply, so Lelouch continued "And is white not an appropriate color? The snow falls, hiding the ugliness of this world under a veil of pure white. Be it blood, weapons, cruelty, the snow covers all. Is the world not beautiful when covered in snow? In this country, white is the color symbolizing sadness and death, both can be found here in abundance. Yet, just like death, snow gives peace, for the snow numbs and saps the strength out of all, weakening those wishing to harm, and even death in snow is a peaceful slumber. It is when the snow melts and becomes see-through and vanishes that the true hideousness of the world is revealed. When the sun shines, there is nothing between you and terror." He remembered that sunny day his world shattered.

(Sorry, I might have put more of my thoughts into that part than Lelouch's)

The girl looked at him, and for the first time, she smiled. "You are even more interesting then I originally thought, Lelouch vi Britannia."

Lelouch realized he might have revealed a little too much of his thoughts and tried to fix it. "Anyways," He activated his Geass "answer my questions, then forget all about me."

The girl looked at him, her face betraying no emotion. "Geass does not work on me."

Lelouch's eyes widened. "You are an immortal! Just like V.V.."

Her eyes narrowed. "I have far more experience than that brat, but yes. And maybe you should join your men before the show starts. We will meet again"

Lelouch glanced to where the Black Knights were, but when he looked back at the girl, she was gone A glance revealed that she had slipped, or jumped, off the cliff, as a red spot on the ground showed, though the girl itself was gone. For a second he just stood there, then he shook his head and headed to his Burai. He'd ask V.V. about the girl later, right now, he had a battle to win.

-0-

Cornelia sat in he Gloucester, waiting impatiently for the battle to start. While technically in complete control of the attack-time, she still had to wait until all troops were in position. In the Gloucester next to her was her First Knight, Guilford. Her Second Knight, Darlton, was also nearby. She could hear the two men talking through the communicators. She was only half-listening until Darlton asked an interesting question.

"What do you think about that Jeremiah Gottwald, Guilford?" Cornelia's head rose. This topic was interesting for her, as she was not sure how to judge the man. He had let Zero escape, and Cornelia would not forget nor forgive that easily. On the other side, he had risked his life to save Euphy, and he had saved both her and Darlton. She was interested in what Guilford thought.

Guilford thought about it, then he answered. "I'm not sure, to be honest. I've talked to him and the man seems loyal to a fault, but his actions with Zero I don't understand. From the way he acted before and after the trial, I would have to say that something possessed him when he faced Zero.'

One could practically hear Darlton nod. "I actually did a bit of research about him, and you won't believe where he started his career."

Cornelia got a weird feeling, but Guilford spoke before she could join the conversation. "Where?"

Darlton spoke, and Cornelia's blood froze. "Aries Villa. He was a guard there. The records say he was responsible, honorable, humble, and never slacked off. Curiously, a medical report says that he was taking anti-depressants for a few years after Empress Marianne was assassinated. His psychiatrist wrote that Gottwald tends to blame things on himself rather than on others. Her highness Cornelia will probably want to ask Gottwald a few questions when she finds it out."

'You bet she will.' Cornelia thought to herself 'But with what question do I start with?' Her thoughts were interrupted when she received the report that all troops were in position. She opened a open channel. "This is Cornelia li Britannia, all troops, move out. The operation starts now!"

-0-

Lelouch had rejoined the Black Knights only minutes before it started raining Knightmares. Needless to say, they were not amused. But to Lelouch's relief, they had already activated the moles, as V.V. had jokingly called them. So he was fairly calm as some members, Tamaki right in the front, started protesting.

"You led us into a deathtrap!" Tamaki accused.

Lelouch rolled his eyes, not that anyone noticed because of his mask."It would be indeed a miracle if we survive, let alone win this." He stated.

Ohgi's eyes widened. He had expected the metal rain, but Zero's words shocked him. "But..."

Lelouch didn't let him finish. "Even messiahs must perform miracles if they are to be acknowledged."

Ohgi was relieved, but Tamaki was no appeased so easily. "Miracles don't come cheap, the price could be our lives! I knew it was insane to make you our leader, it should have been me!" He shouted while pointing his machine-gun at Zero.

Lelouch suppressed a snort, but Kallen, safe in her Guren, had no such restraint. Both she, Lelouch and everyone else, excluding the delusional Tamaki, knew that if they let Tamaki take control, they could just as well walk into Britannia's main military-base and ask to be shot.

Lelouch pulled out his own weapon and pointed it at Tamaki, then he released his grip on his weapon so that the handle faced Tamaki. His voice rang loud and clear. "If you think you can win this without me then shoot me! Someone. Anyone."

To Kallen's relief, no shots were fired and all soon admitted his leadership. Lelouch/Zero spoke again.

"You have entered the Black Knights of your free will. And as long as you wear those uniforms, you either live with me... or you perish with me."

While a bit over-dramatic and drastic, it served its purpose as iron determination appeared in the eyes of all Black Knights, washing away all traces of fear. Behind his mask, Lelouch smirked. Now they could begin.

"Kallen, you know what to do, it's number 3. Wait for my signal."

"Understood." Kallen answered as she adjusted the Surger on the Guren's right arm. 'How much was it again? Something about 75%' She thought as she reduced the output to ¾ of maximum output.

-0-

Cornelia was having a field-day. She was out on the battlefield, where she belonged, and she was about to destroy the group who had the highest likelihood of being the murderers of Lelouch and Nunnally. She mercilessly dashed through them, her knights struggling to keep up. Finally, she received the message she had been impatiently waiting for.

"We have located the enemy base and will now commence the main offensive."

Cornelia grinned as Darlton contacted her. "I'm surprised. You're not heading there? "

Cornelia scoffed. "I don't need to steal credit from my own men. And besides, I still have Zero to look forward to."

Darlton smiled. "Understood your highn... What the hell?"

-0-

"Now." That single word changed the entire battle. Kallen activated the Surger. For a second, nothing happened, then the ground split open and a avalanche of mud and rock came rolling down the mountain, burying everything in its path under it and dragging it away. Unfortunately for the Britannian army, they were part of that everything.

The lucky ones died quickly when large boulders or simply the ground smashed their cockpits. The luckier ones would later be dug out before the oxygen in their emergency-tanks ran out. The ones kissed by Fortuna herself were swept to the surface and managed to climb out of their machines once the mudslide stopped. The other pilots slowly suffocated in their Frames.

The avalanche reached the outskirts of the city below, buying a few houses before coming to a stop.

Lelouch smiled sadistically as he ordered his Knights to charge the weakened and unsuspecting Britannians before he entered his own Burai. "All Black Knights, move out. We have the element of surprise and the better strategic position, I suggest we use it. The intent of this operation is to capture Cornelia, third princess of the Empire."

"Understood!" was the answering call and Lelouch's smile widened. A short glance at the city that narrowly avoided destruction made him thankful to have V.V., but it made him wonder what factors had collaborated to throw off the immortals calculations.

V.V. had brought the layout of the mountain into his calculations, along with the amount of water, the positioning of the 'mole' and many other factors to gain the perfect output to be used. In V.V.'s plan, the mudslide was supposed to come to a halt a good fifty feet before it reached the city. But what was done was done, and there was little point in crying over spilled milk.

-0-

When the mudslide came down, Jeremiah had a miserable feeling of dread. He immediately knew that this was more than a natural event at a inconvenient time, the timing was far too perfect. Then he heard that her highness Cornelia's guard was under attack and dashed off, followed closely by the rest of the purist faction, but not all for the same reason. Villetta's thoughts were going in a direction similar to Jeremiah's, but Kewel and the others only saw it as a chance to gain honor.

-0-

Lelouch halted his troops when he noticed a squad of Sutherlands driving close by. He aimed for the leader and shot the rifle out of his hand. Of course, they had been noticed after that stunt, but Lelouch wasn't worried. Kallen was here, hiding in the forest at the moment to make a dramatic entrance.

He listened to their communications and had to smirk. Orange was amongst them.

Jeremiah changed to an open channel. "Zero, we meet again."

Zero laughed. "Jeremiah Gottwald. I'd love to stay and catch up, but I'm busy now, Orange-boy."

Jeremiah, to Lelouch's amazement, remained calm. "If you think that you can insult me with that, think again. You are after her highness Cornelia, aren't you?"

Zero chuckled. "I underestimated you, Jeremiah. Both your will, and your intelligence. Indeed, there are a few questions I'd like Cornelia to answer."

Jeremiah activated his Stun-Tonfa. "Then I can't let you pass, Zero. Three times a member of the Royal Family was injured on my watch, twice by you. I will die before I let it happen again, and I'll gladly kill you if it keeps them safe!" With that, he dashed forward, but was forced back by a red Knightmare he'd never seen before.

Zero, to Jeremiah's surprise, sighed. "You have my respect, Jeremiah Gottwald. You are a good man, far too good to serve scum like the emperor. I'd try to bring you to our side, but if your loyalty was so weak, you would not have gained my respect in the first place. Farewell, Jeremiah Gottwald."

Villetta shouted "Lord Jeremiah, be careful! I've never seen a Knightmare like his before!"

Jeremiah nodded. "This is not a Britannian model. So the builders are..."

At this point, Kewel interrupted. "You can't really believe Elevens are capable of such technology?"

Jeremiah face-palmed. "Kewel you idiot, before Britannia conquered it, Japan was no the vanguard of technology. Is it that hard to imagine that some of those minds survived? And what the Japanese were really great with was improvement, and every five-year-old can download a Knightmare's schematics from the net."

Inside of the Guren, Kallen grinned. "I see that there are some smart Britannians. You're right this baby, the Guren MkII, will BLOW! YOU! AWAY!" With every word, she lashed out at Jeremiah, who not only dodged, but managed to hit back. Not that he hit her, but it was still impressive. Kallen decided to use the right arm.

To Jeremiah's credit, he immediately saw the danger in the big, _silver_ arm on the _red_ Knightmare. He would have escaped too, if the arm hadn't suddenly extended.

Zero sighed again. "Finish it, Q1."

"Burn, Britannia." with that, she activated the Surger.

-0-

Jeremiah was suddenly in a world of hurt. He could feel the blood starting to boil in his veins. He knew he was in trouble, so he tried to eject. Unfortunately, the manual ejection starters located in the armrests were the most sensible, and fell victim to the radiation first. "Shit!" he cursed, realizing he was trapped.

He used the communicator one last time. "Villetta, protect the... princess!" Before he could receive an answer, the circuits fried, leaving him in silence. He regretted his failures. 'I'm sorry lady Marianne, I failed to protect you. Villetta, I should have repaid you for your help. Kururugi, I was hoping to beat that foolishness out of you. Lord Lelouch, Lady Nunnally, I should have followed you to Japan, can you ever forgive me?'

As if to answer, his Sutherland had found the situation highly threatening and started the auto-eject. It asked for confirmation to launch, but would do so anyway in ten seconds. Jeremiah's eyes widened. He leaned forward and punched the confirmation-button. "Fate wishes for me to further serve the emperor... AARGH!"

Unknown to him, leaning forward had brought his left eye much closer to the Surger, and it became too much for the fluids in it. The eye popped, giving him pain on a whole new level. But he had succeeded and the cockpit ejected, only seconds before the radiation would have started to cause brain-damage.

-0-

Lelouch watched the cockpit eject and sighed once more. If Gottwald survived this, he would soon become dangerous.

The other Britannians were in shock, with one exception. One idiot drove towards the Guren at full speed, not even pausing when Lelouch shot his rifle as well. Kallen had to do little more than extend the Guren's right arm to get the Sutherlands head.

"That was pathetic." She stated as she turned on the Surger once more.

While Kewell noticed the same thing Jeremiah did, that he couldn't eject, he did not take it as well. He started screaming like a little girl, the radio still functioning.

"What a pitiful display." Zero said before changing to a private channel. "Q1, the Surger's output is not what it should be, it takes much too long. Did you turn it back on full power?"

Kallen deactivated the Surger and looked at the display. It was still at 75%. Sheepishly, she turned it back to max and reactivated the Surger, just in time to give Kewell a major dose of radiation before his cockpit took off. Kallen was a bit disappointed, but turned to the other Britannians and quickly fried three before Zero contacted her.

"Thanks for the help, but you should take up your position, we'll handle the rest."

"Understood." With that, she drove off to prepare the final trap.

-0-

Cornelia was grinding her teeth. All had been going well, and in seconds, everything was shot to hell.

Not only did a mudslide bury the bulk of her forces, but an attack by the Black Knights of all people was troubling her forces. If things went on like this, they'd be forced to retreat.

Her knights tried to reach her, but Darlton was trapped in a pincer-assault by the JLF, while Guilford and the rest of Cornelia's Royal Guard was fighting Tohdoh and his Four Holy Swords, who had arrived only moments ago, and the fight was not going very well. They were not losing, but they weren't winning either. It was a stalemate, and in Guilford's eyes, a stalemate could turn both ways.

"Your highness, you have to escape." He said.

Needless to say, Cornelia was not amused. "To you really think I'll abandon my soldiers?"

Guilford realized he should have phrased that better. "Of course not, but if you are captured, the blow to our morale would cost us the battle. And without you, the terrorists would overrun Area 11 and eventually Britannia." The Britannia-part was a major exaggeration, as Schneizel would not let that happen, but the speech served it's purpose, as Cornelia slowly backed her Gloucester away from the battle.

"Fine." she growled. "But I expect a victory here Guilford."

Guilford had to grin. "Of course, your highness." He said as he blocked a chainsaw-sword. He had to admit, they were creative. Those blades wouldn't dull, even if Guilford managed to make them chop every tree and Knightmare in a fifty-mile-radius. And those pilots were skilled, especially the white one.

-0-

Asahina was enjoying his fight, but when he saw Cornelia running for the hills, he got frustrated. "So the Witch of Britannia is running with her tail between her legs."

Tohdoh disagreed. "That is not like her, Asahina. If I had to guess, I'd say her guards told her to escape so we can't capture her."

"Should we go after her?" Senba asked.

Tohdoh shook his head. "If Zero is the man I think he is, then he's already set up a trap for her.

Asahina growled. "Still, things don't always go according to plan, Colonel. We should have been able to reclaim Japan from Itsukushima (no idea if that's spelled right), but instead we got a narrow win and were forced into the underground."

Urabe scoffed. "Maybe, but the Phantom of Itsukushima will not reappear here, you know that. But you are right, as your scar proves."

Tohdoh interrupted. "Keep focus. We are fighting skilled opponents, and dropping your guard can be our end. Don't worry about Cornelia for now and keep focus on our foes."

"YES SIR!" Four voices answered.

-0-

Lelouch was getting frustrated. The remaining Britannians were more stubborn than he had thought and were keeping them from advancing further. Lelouch had initially been worried that the Royal Guard would crash the party, but someone with the brains to see through the plan was keeping them off his back. It didn't take long until the surviving Britannians were forced to retreat and they could head to their target.

-0-

Meanwhile, V.V. was observing the Special Core's vehicle, the Lancelot-transporter. His plan was fairly simple: He'd first check how many people were there, then decide on the course of action. His goal was to secure Lloyd, Cecile and the Lancelot's pilot plus his machine. He had a stun-gun and a small tranquilizer-gun with him.

Once only his targets were there, he'd close in, pretending to be a survivor of the mudslide who had lost his parents, which was why he had covered himself in mud. Cecile was too soft for her own good, so she'd quickly let him in. then he'd have to tranquilize Lloyd first, as the man was sharp as a knife. If someone around him collapsed out of no good reason , he always went for cover first, so he needed to go out first. Then he'd stun Cecile, who would probably be hugging him. Last, the pilot would have to go.

He was confident that he could drive the Lancelot good enough to take his booty with him and drive off before someone noticed. All he needed was for Suzaku, who he knew was working there as an engineer, to step out for a minute. He'd seen the boy in PE and knew that he'd be impossible to hit once he realized he was being aimed at, and V.V. couldn't stun both him and Lloyd first. What happened next threw a giant monkey-wrench in his plans.

Suzaku stepped out, but he was in a white pilot-suit. V.V.'s eyes widened. Then he began cursing. This ruined everything. He remembered Lelouch's words.

-0-

_Flashback_

_"Out of curiosity," V.V. asked "Is there anyone you would never use your Geass on?"_

_Lelouch thought about it, then he nodded. "Two in fact. One is Nunnally," V.V. nodded. That was a given. "And the other would be my first real friend, well, other than Markus, Suzaku Kururugi."_

_End of Flashback_

-0-

V.V. couldn't believe his bad luck. The one person Lelouch was able, but unwilling to geass was the one person that was a hindrance to pretty much all their plans. He was also annoyed by the fact that Suzaku had openly lied to Lelouch and Nunnally. He himself was an expert at bending the truth, but he despised lies.

"Engineer my ass." He muttered. Then he started cursing again when he saw a few roughed-up Sutherlands park right next to the Special Core.

He had a feeling they wouldn't be leaving anytime soon, so he left. Lloyd and Cecile would have to wait a while before their recruitment.

-0-

In the MCC, Euphy was biting her lip. She couldn't move their vehicle, as there was a field-hospital behind them. Also, Cornelia had ordered her not to. But her sister was moving right into a trap, and she had no way back. She really wished that Clovis was here, but Cornelia had forbidden him from setting even a single foot out of his villa.

When her desperation was about to hit its peak, a picture flashed onto the screen. In it, you could see Suzaku in the pilot-seat of his Lancelot, with Lloyd and Cecile leaning into the open cockpit.

"We're very sorry for interrupting, but..." Cecile began before Lloyd spoke up.

"All this waiting around is boring. Would you mind giving us permission to move out as well?"

Cecile and Suzaku had the decency to look sheepish. While some advisers shouted at them, Suzaku mouthed a word that only Euphemia understood. It was the same name she had introduced herself with: Euphy. She made up her mind instantly.

"Very well. You have permission to move out. Aid the Viceroy." She said and the Lancelot launched.

-0-

Cornelia sighed. She had just entered a canyon, only to face a Knightmare she had never seen before. As she prepared her rifle, someone shot it out of her hand, causing it to explode. When she looked, she saw a black Knightmare, with a golden crown-like object on its head. She immediately knew who it was.

"Zero, yo coward! Attacking from behind!" she growled.

Behind his mask, Lelouch smirked. "And your own actions are not cowardly?. I'm starting to get better at shooting enemies firearms it would seem. But it is very nice to see you, Cornelia. We'll have a little chat, there are a few things I'd like to ask you. Perhaps over a nice cup of tea. Of course, you'll have to surrender to us first. As you can see, you are trapped. This is checkmate."

Cornelia snorted. "You're overconfident. All I need to do is beat this one here," she looked at the Guren "and I'm free like a bird."

Lelouch chuckled. "You're welcome to try, but I would advise you to just give up."

A sneer answered him. "Like hell!"

Lelouch shrugged. "Knock yourself out, it might be amusing to watch."

And at least for the Black Knights, it was. Cornelia put up a good fight, but she was quickly overwhelmed and after less than a minute, her Knightmare was missing both arms, Slash Harkens included, leaving her helpless and unarmed. Lelouch spoke on an open channel, but not to Cornelia.

"So Q1, what do you think of the Second Princess of the Empire, the Witch of Britannia, the infamous Cornelia li Britannia?" He asked.

Kallen thought about it for a few seconds. "She's not bad, but it's not like I've been trying to kill her. I'd have to say, Gottwald was better."

Cornelia's eyes widened. It sounded like she had killed Gottwald, perhaps her only clue to finding out what really happened that day. "Did you kill Gottwald?" She asked, forcing herself to be calm.

Kallen shrugged. "Not sure. He ejected, but he got a full blast of radiation before he left. He may have succumbed to his injuries by now. But that is none of your concern, Britannian princess, seeing as you're coming with us...What?"

At that moment, the Lancelot broke through the mountainside, apparently having simply blasted through it.

Lelouch growled. "Q1, smash it! It's interfered with us enough!"

And the battle was on, during which Cornelia managed to escape while Lelouch begrudgingly ordered his troops to retreat.

-0-

Kallen was smirking. Not only did she have a worthy opponent, forcing her to pull out almost everything she could, except her Geass, and she was winning. She had just destroyed one of those red swords that effortlessly cut through rock. She most likely wouldn't even need her Geass here.

Then the Lancelot fired a shot with its gun and Kallen managed to raise the Surger between the barrel and her just in the nick of time. She had a satisfied grin on her face as the shot got repelled, which changed to terror as the ground broke away beneath her. She hadn't noticed that she was that close to the edge, and now she was over it.

Suzaku blinked in surprise. He had just thought that he was in deep shit, seeing as all his weapons were useless, and now his seemingly invincible foe was gone. But then, who was he to look a gift horse in the mouth? He turned to chase Zero.

-0-

Lelouch climbed out of the wreckage of his cockpit, only to stare into the barrel of the Lancelot's VARIS. He silently cursed while the pilot spouted some nonsense about arrest and no resistance. Lelouch pulled out V.V.'s gift, activated it and threw it towards the Lancelot.

Suzaku's eyes widened as he identified the object as a hand-grenade. He knew the Lancelot could take the hit, but he also knew that it would do serious damage and that Lloyd would kill him if that happened. So he did the only thing he could, he activated his shields.

When the shield activated, Lelouch smirked. He remembered what V.V. had told him.

-0-

_Flashback_

_"...For it to work, you have to hit the shields. The Lancelot's shield consists of microscopic particles moving at near-light-speed. But the shield doesn't simply shoot them outwards, otherwise it would not have that distinctive shield-shape, nor would it be able to last that long. The particles are projected in a very specific, diagonal angle that is held by a electromagnetic field which pulls them back in. so essentially, the particles are retrieved, then their momentum is 'recycled' into energy, which, thanks to the Sakuradite in the entire Frame, then charges the other components of the machine, enabling 100% efficiency while the shields are active. But that is also a fatal flaw. The particles can absorb additional energy, if it has a very specific wavelength, and if too much additional energy is absorbed... Well, you'll see. Enjoy the light-show."_

_End of Flashback_

-0-

And Lelouch had to admit, the light-show was impressive. The Impulse-Grenade somehow hit both shields, and a second later they turned blue while sparks flew out of practically all of the Knightmare's openings. Then the machine fell to the floor like a puppet with cut strings. Lelouch smirked and used his chance to make a run for it before backup arrived.

-0-

Suzaku was in shock. One minute he had Zero cornered, and the next he was sitting in what was essentially a lump of metal. Nothing worked, not even the hydraulics for opening the cockpit or the radio. To his luck there was a small ventilation-duct in the Lancelot that worked mechanically, so he didn't suffocate. But he had to wait until someone found him.

-0-

As soon as Cornelia was safe, she informed her Knights of the next plans of action. "We're pulling back, there's nothing for us to gain here." Then she went on a private channel. "To my Royal Guards, one of the terrorists claimed to have beaten and potentially killed Jeremiah Gottwald. The man knows some things I want to know, so find him or at least his body."

"Yes, your highness!" Came the reply.

-0-

Meanwhile, Jeremiah was Dragging the barely conscious Kewel towards a road he'd seen. He was hoping someone would find them in time. Kewel was on death's door and Jeremiah knew it was only a matter of time before he fell in shock due to the loss of his left eye. They needed help, and even if they got it, their muscles and nerves were destroyed. Their careers were over.

Then he saw a car stopping and one of his most hated persons stepping out of it: Bartley.

Said man looked at the two men before him. They were seriously injured, and would soon die. But they also were just the guinea-pigs he had been looking for. So he offered them a deal.

"We are experimenting on human augmentation. There are a few risks, but if it works, and it has a 90% chance of working, then you would not only make a complete recovery from your injuries, you would be stronger and faster than you were before. If you agree, sign this." He handed them each a piece of paper.

Kewel signed it and lost consciousness, while Jeremiah remained wary. He didn't trust Bartley as far as he could throw him, and in his current state and with the man's weight, that was not very far. But Bartley offered him a chance to be a better service to the empire, and if that was the price, then Jeremiah would pay it. He signed it and handed it back to Bartley, who smiled.

"Okay men, take them and make sure they don't die on us!" the fat man shouted as darkness claimed Jeremiah.

-0-

Lelouch was gasping for breath. He had made it to a cave and contacted Kallen, who would pick him up shortly. All he had to do was wait. Suddenly, the green-haired girl was standing in the cave.

She looked at him. "You are even more entertaining than I'd hoped. I'm assuming V.V. hasn't mentioned it yet, but he and I had a little talk a while ago. Should you manage to complete what I demanded, we could be allies. But you have yet to pass my test, so until another time, perhaps."

She turned to leave, but Lelouch had enough. He grabbed her arm. "Oh no you don't! You will tell me what the hell is...Argh?"

Suddenly, the girl had grabbed his hand and Lelouch felt something enter his mind as his worst memories flooded into his head again. He saw his mother die, then Nunnally at the hospital. His father sending them to Japan and walking through a field of corpses. Unwilling to see more, he tried to push the flow back, even activating his Geass for help, and he could feel himself succeeding. Then it was like he had entered someone elses nightmares. He saw the girl, burning on a stake. He saw her in an Iron Maiden, under a guillotine, speared and shot.

"ENOUGH!" he shouted, and the pictures vanished. He stood there, gasping for air again, while the girl stared at him, shocked.

"That was not meant for your eyes." She said with a shaking voice, then she ran off.

-0-

Lelouch sat on the floor and waited for Kallen, while a million things were going through his mind. He knew that after this, things would become very, _very_ annoying.

* * *

Chapter 14 is done. Finally. A little longer than usual, but that's fine. I managed to find a computer, got more or less used to the new keyboard and found the time to finish this. More than I had hoped, to be honest. Don't know how long I can use the computer, so the next update might take a while. And there's a different story in my head that wants to be written, but I don't want to have to update three stories right now. Anyways, enough ranting.

I came up with the Impulse-Grenade because unlike C.C., V.V. can't send shock-images, and more importantly, he couldn't show himself to Suzaku, who knew him as Victor. I put C.C. in this chapter because A: I liked the philosophical discussion between them and thought it was a bit short in canon, and B: because of reviewers asking to see her.

And Jeremiah will not go crazy. I hate the crazy Jeremiah, but I thought R2's Jeremiah was kinda cool. Also, I don't think normal humans could pilot the Siegfried. Now we have someone else that can go crazy or just die in a corner for all I care.

As for why Lelouch entered C.C.'s mind, she was basically injecting information/shock images through a mental link she opened. Lelouch's Geass gave him control over that information-flow and he reversed it.

Onto the questions.

1. I mentioned something with the 4HS. What do you think happened? It involves Asahina's scar (I made up a story for that).

2. What do you think Lelouch and V.V. have to do to gain C.C.'s help?

3. I came up with an alternative to C.C. zapping Suzaku for Lelouch's escape, which I thought sounded plausible. How did you like it?

4. I thought I mentioned it, but stopping Geass is a side-effect. Here's a tip: What Markus does takes away the power of the king. What does a king need to be a ruler? What is Markus's Geass?

5. The usual. How did you like it, what can I do better, on a scale of 1 to 10, etc.

6. Tell me whatever you want to tell me.

To Jnottle: I have yet to decide on a pairing or if there will be one, so I'm open for suggestion. And about your review in Ch. 11, do you really think V.V. knows Marianne is still alive?

To All That Is Left Unsaid: Kallen didn't use her Geass in Narita, simply because she never felt like her life was in danger. Remember, she had the upper hand when the cliff broke. And I couldn't let them get Cornelia, I need her to make sure Jeremiah stays sane (More details next chapter). And you were right, it was the Lancelot-stopper. And as I wrote, in V.V.'s eyes, Kallen and Lelouch are equal, therefor lying to each other, unless it involves something that would ruin the trust aka Lelouch's parents, is not acceptable.

To DrTempo: Kallen can only increase or decrease the senses, she is unable to completely erase or restore them.

I think I said enough for now, so now you readers will be writers:

Please Review


	15. After Narita

Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I don't own CG

* * *

Lelouch looked up at the sound of a Knightmare closing in fast. He hid behind a wall, but relaxed when he saw the telltale red of the Guren. He wasn't surprised to see Kallen coming this way, but seeing V.V. climbing out of the Frame as well shocked him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

V.V. shrugged. "I had Kallen pick me up."

Lelouch let his gaze wander over his still mud-covered accomplice. "From where? A slumber-party in a pigpen?"

Kallen snorted, trying to hold in a laugh while V.V. glared at her, obviously annoyed. "He has a point." she defended herself.

Begrudgingly, V.V. focus shifted back to Lelouch, who, despite the insulting joke, was clearly waiting for an answer.

"Lelouch, I was observing the Special Core, hoping for both information and perhaps a chance to take the Lancelot and its creators, hence my... current look."

Lelouch and Kallen smirked. Finally, a failure that they could remind V.V. of whenever the immortal brat got too annoying. "I'm going on a hunch here, but you failed magnificently, right?" Kallen asked.

But V.V. shrugged it off in his usual way, sarcasm. "Brilliant deduction Sherlock, what gave it away? There's good news and bad news. The good news is that I uncovered the identity of the Lancelot's pilot."

Lelouch's eyes widened. If they knew who the pilot was, Lelouch could geass him into submission, and the biggest thorn in his side would be removed. While Kallen enjoyed a good fight, having the Lancelot out of the picture would be much better for them in the long run. "Who is it?" they asked at the same time.

V.V. sighed. "That would be the bad news." He waited a moment to savor the expressions on their faces before dropping the bomb. "It's Suzaku Kururugi."

Kallen was shocked that a Kururugi, much less the gentle Suzaku, would be on the Britannian side of the battlefield, while Lelouch turned white as a sheet. V.V. didn't know whether to laugh or grind his teeth. The looks on his contractors' faces would be hilarious if the situation hadn't been so serious. This was a major blow to them, and it could affect the morale of the Japanese people, aka their foot-soldiers, to hear that the son of their former leader was now working for the enemy. And V.V. would have none of that.

"You realize that spreading this knowledge would do us lots of harm and no good, so I think it's best we leave sleeping dogs be for now." V.V. said.

Kallen agreed, but Lelouch seemed to be in shock. He knew V.V. well enough to know the blonde hated lying and lies in general, to an almost unhealthy degree that was clearly bordering on obsession. But that didn't make believing it any easier, it just drove the nail deeper into the coffin. Lelouch looked at V.V., a almost desperate look in his eyes. "Are you absolutely sure? I'm not doubting your words, but is there any chance that Suzaku isn't..."

V.V. somewhat understood what was going through Lelouch's mind. The boy's logic said it was true, but a part of him simply refused to believe it, and that part would deny it until he had undeniable proof. "There's no doubt about it. Suzaku was wearing a pilot-suit, climbed into the Lancelot with two scientists and was the only one that didn't climb back out when it took off. For all it's worth, I'm sorry, but Suzaku is the Lancelot's pilot."

Lelouch slammed his fist into the cave wall repeatedly, ignoring the pain shooting through his arm. Kallen grabbed it when the first red stains appeared on the glove. "You can hit the wall until your hand is a bloody stump, but that won't change anything, now will it? I don't know why you take it so personal, I know you're friends, but don't you think you're overreacting a bit?" Kallen asked.

"No, I don't!" Lelouch snapped back, before calming himself. "Me and my sister left the Motherland under... unfortunate circumstances. I won't go into detail, but we were disowned and sent off to Japan, essentially to serve as tools and then perish. I met Suzaku and he became my first real friend. Well, there was one other friend I had, but he was a few years older than me, and he was always really quiet. When the war broke out, we marched through hell, but eventually we were separated. Now I finally see him after all these years, and I find out that I tried to put him six feet under on multiple occasions, because he pilots a new Knightmare against his countrymen, god knows why. And to top it all off, my friend nearly killed me a few minutes ago. So no, I don't think I'm overreacting."

Kallen didn't know what to say to that, while Lelouch regretted his outburst, knowing he might have given away too much information. Kallen was anything but stupid, and now it was only a matter of time before she connected the dots and reached a conclusion that would bring Lelouch into a whole new world of pain. He winced at the thought, suddenly feeling his bad hand.

But V.V. seemed to have reached the same conclusion as Lelouch and decided to end this conversation. "So sorry to interrupt you two lovebirds, but unless we get moving soon, you will have all the time in the world to make out in a prison-cell."

Both teenagers shot him a glare, which he ignored, while moving towards the Guren. Annoying as V.V. may be, he was right. It was time to leave while they still could. The military had officially retreated, but in such large operations, there were always a few people who managed to not get the message, and they didn't feel like getting in a quarrel with them right now.

-0-

Suzaku was still trying, and failing, to get out of his Knightmare. Since the hydraulics were just as dead as everything else in the Frame, aside from Suzaku. And the boy intended to keep it that way. Thanks to the mechanically operated ventilation, he was in no danger of suffocating, but that left many other ways to die in this Frame, the most pressing were dehydration and heatstroke, though latter was most likely to get him first. The Lancelot was sitting out in the open, and even though it was white and golden, something Suzaku had come to appreciate, it was slowly getting warmer inside the cockpit. Had the Lancelot been black, he would probably have been fried by now, instead of slowly boiling he was currently facing.

Suzaku knew that he needed to get out fast, but he had no idea how. The cockpit was built sturdy to resist impact, so even Suzaku's seemingly superhuman abilities had failed to pry it open. He'd need some sort of lever to use as a crowbar, but there was nothing available. And worst of all, the locating-device all Knightmares had was fried along with everything else in the machine, so Lloyd and Cecile couldn't find him. He was officially screwed.

Just as he finished that thought, the hydraulics sprung to life and the cockpit opened. He was baffled at what was happening when Cecile's face appeared. "Suzaku, are you alright?" she asked, obviously worried.

He smiled. "I'm fine. Your timing was perfect, but how did you find me?" he asked.

Cecile sighed in relief. "We took the Lancelot's last known coordinates and started searching from there. It didn't take long to find you." she explained.

"What's the situation?" Suzaku asked.

Cecile frowned. "That landslide cost a lot of soldiers their lives, though some got lucky. The city is pretty much intact, the slide only reached roughly thirty feet into the actual city before it stopped, so it's unlikely that there will be many civilian casualties, except for some unlucky hikers that may have been in the landslide's path. The fighting is over, we retreated and Zero did the same." Cecile said, before smiling. "Was that precise enough, mister Warrant Officer?"

Suzaku nodded, a bit baffled. Suddenly he heard a scream.

"AAAAHHH, WHAT HAPPENED TO MY LANCELOT?" It was Lloyd. And for once, he was not relaxed or giddy. The man was upset. Then one of the mechanics handed him a clipboard with the first analysis. "THE ENTIRE SYSTEM IS FRIED? 48% OF THE DELICATE PARTS ARE MOLTEN? HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?" Then he spotted Suzaku, and murder gleamed in the man's eyes. He became what could best be described as dangerously quiet. "Kururugi!" he hissed and walked towards him.

Suddenly, the idea of dying of heatstroke or dehydration inside of a Knightmare suddenly seemed to gain a certain charm for Suzaku. It'd beat being out here.

-0-

While Suzaku was still sweating inside of his Frame, a few miles away, at the town that barely evaded destruction, a small crowd had gathered, staring at the pile of earth that could have very well ended their lives. Suddenly a young man of roughly 24, going by the name of Shiro, noticed something.

"Hey, look over there! I think there's somebody in the dirt over there!" Ignoring the shouts of "What?", "It can't be!", "No, I think he's right, I see something too!", Shiro dashed to where he saw the movement. And really, he found a middle-aged man who had apparently buried himself out of the earth-masses.

He gulped, the man looked awful. His hands were dirty and bloody, and he seemed to have a hard time breathing. "You okay man? You don't look so hot. Should we get you a doctor?"

The man looked up and nodded weakly. Shiro stood up. "Does anyone have a cell-phone? Or maybe a phone in the neighborhood still works, we need to get this man a doctor!" One of the passerbys was a Britannian and, after seeing the man was Britannian as well, pulled out her cell and hammered the ambulance's number.

Shiro turned his attention back on the man. "Hang on, okay man? Help is on the way, just hang in there. I don't want to look like I'm trying to steal from you, so can you tell me if you have any ID with you?"

The man nodded and pointed at his left pocket. The boy carefully pulled out the wallet, and found a driver's license. "Joseph Fenette." he read. "Okay mister Fenette, you have to stay awake till the doctor gets here, or you might not wake up, so please talk to me if you can. If it hurts too much, then don't just give me a sign. My name is Shiro. I studied medicine before... well, I think I can help you. Where does it hurt?"

Joseph looked up. "All over, but... breathing is... difficult."

Shiro nodded. "Probably a broken rib, maybe more. Can you feel your feet?"

"Yes,... but I can't really... move them right now." came the reply.

Shiro sighed in relief. If the man could feel his legs, there was no serious spinal injury. "That's not a problem. But what are you doing here in the first place? No offense, but you're not exactly dressed for hiking or mountain-climbing."

The man laughed. "I had some business here as... a geologist, and I decided... to take the scenic route to see... the mountain. I just didn't think... the mountain would be so... _overwhelming_."

Shiro grinned. If the man had the strength to joke, he was fine. "Yeah, talk about bad timing. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy you're still with us, but how did you last almost twenty minutes down there?"

Joseph looked up. "I don't know. Luck, I guess. I landed in... some sort of air-pocket... so I could breathe long enough to... dig myself free."

Shiro shook his head. "You have the devil's luck, mister Fenette." The sound of sirens interrupted them. "Finally. The doctors are here, mister Fenette, so it'll be fine. The worst is over."

Then the medics shoved him out of the way as they placed Joseph Fenette on a stretcher. After they left, Shiro looked into the hole the man had dug. He knew that landslides like that normally didn't have air-pockets. The tunnel wasn't long, only two to three feet. When Shiro looked up, he knew what had created the lifesaving air-pocket. An upside-down bathtub! How the hell did that get there? The only explanation Shiro could think of was that someone had just dumped the thing somewhere close to the mountain. What were the odds?

-0-

Lloyd scratched his head. "You say he threw a _hand-grenade_ at the shields and then this happened?" he asked.

Suzaku nodded. "In hindsight, I kinda doubt it was a grenade, but it looked like one. I block, then the shield goes blue and everything goes out. Nothing works, only the mechanically opened air-hole."

Cecile looked at Lloyd. "Do you think it was...?"

He nodded. "Yes, someone found out the weakness of the Lancelot. The shield turning blue is the best evidence, seeing it holds the highest energy in the visible spectrum. There was probably a lot of ultraviolet light as well, but nobody got hit. Zero was shielded by his helmet, and Suzaku by the Lancelot. At least now I have a reason why we should use the expensive non-additional-charge-conducting particles."

Suzaku blinked. "Um, I don't mean to interrupt, but what happened back then?"

Cecile explained. "The Lancelot reabsorbs excess energy from the shields and circles it through the entire Frame. Unfortunately, the shield particles can absorb additional energy if it has the right wavelength and frequency. Whatever Zero threw at you had that, and it sent loads of additional energy through the Lancelot."

Here, Lloyd took over. "The additional energy was more than poor Lancelot could handle, and boom, he went out like a light. Imagine blowing up a balloon till it has the right amount of air, and then another person keeps adding more and more. Eventually it pops, and that's what happened here. Zero short-circuited the Lancelot. The good news is, now we have enough proof to get the stuff to correct that fault."

Cecile sighed. "The bad news is that the Lancelot will be out of commission for a day or two."

Well, that was to be expected. Suzaku would simply have to borrow a Sutherland of Glasgow if he wanted to assist with burying people and equipment out of the earth. The only good news what that according to first estimations, civilian casualties would most likely not even reach the two-digit-numbers, heck, not a single one had been found yet, but what did that really say? But despite the current lack of civilian fatalities, there was a great number of people that were injured, mostly bruising with a few broken bones. While Suzaku didn't like that, the logical part of his brain told him that things could have been much, much worse.

Then he noticed a squad of Gloucesters passing the side of the clearing he was on. It looked like they were searching for something. "Um, are we looking for something?" he asked.

Cecile and Lloyd followed his gaze. "Yes actually. Jeremiah Gottwald and another soldier are currently missing. But Gottwald seems to know something her highness Cornelia wants to know, so the troops are searching until they find him. Either for questioning, or to officially declare him KIA."

To say that Suzaku was shocked would be like saying Lelouch was clever. It was the understatement of the century! In the back of his mind, Suzaku had started to believe the man to be invincible, seeing him fight off four opponents for an extended period of time without even cosmetic damage to his Frame. To hear that this man was missing, possibly dead, was beyond his imagination. "How? Why is he missing? Who was his opponent? I didn't know him well, but Jeremiah Gottwald is a great pilot, that much is obvious. Was it an ambush?" he asked.

Cecile shook her head. "Not exactly. His weapon was destroyed by sniping, but his Sutherland was not damaged. He apparently intercepted Zero when he tried to capture her highness, and was defeated by a new Knightmare I've never seen before."

Something clicked in Suzaku's head. "Was the right hand and lower arm silver, with a set of nasty-looking claws for fingers and a orb-like object in the center of the palm?"

Cecile looked surprised. "Yes, but how did you know?"

Suzaku looked grim. "I fought it. It was the unit that nearly disabled her highness Cornelia."

Now Lloyd was curious. Enemy or not, this was news about a juicy new Knightmare he was itching to get in his hands. Especially if his theory concerning the Radiant Wave Surger was correct, which it was, so much was almost certain. "And what do you think of the machine? How heavy did you damage it?"

Suzaku shrugged. "It was as fast as the Lancelot, but with fewer equipment. Despite that, that right hand of it is a monster. It destroyed one of the MVSs, both Slash Harkens and it blocked a shot from the VARIS at point-blank range. The pilot was no pushover either, in fact, he was gaining the upper hand until part of the cliff we were fighting on gave way and he stumbled down the mountain. I went to pursue Zero, so I don't really know what happened to the Knightmare."

If Lloyd had given up on pudding for good, Cecile couldn't have been more surprised. "It _matched_ the Lancelot? You were _losing_ the fight?"

Lloyd was calmer. "I can see its effectiveness in battle, but for it to do the feats you described, it seems that the other pilot is exceptional, on your level so to say. I must say I'm liking Area 11 more and more, there seems to be an overflow of unused talent." Lloyd was daydreaming about an army of Knightmares, each unique and piloted by people of Suzaku's skill or better, and of course, all made by him. He nearly drooled.

Suzaku blinked. "Wait, you know what that thing is?"

Lloyd looked down at him. "What do you think caused the landslide?"

The boy's eyes tripled in size. "You're telling me a single Knightmare caused THIS? How?"

While Cecile explained the idea behind a Radiant Wave Surger to Suzaku, Lloyd was lost in thought. Suzaku had said that the pilot of that unit had used the Surger as a shield, and that intrigued him, seeing that it shouldn't be possible. Of course, a strong enough amount of focused radiation should, at least in theory, be able to create kinetic energy, but enough to stop a VARIS-projectile? How intriguing.

Suzaku, who finally understood what happened, didn't think so. "How dare they? That landslide could have killed many more civilians! What if it hadn't stopped when it did and buried the entire city? It was just luck that it didn't go any further!"

Lloyd shook his head. "Actually, it wasn't. The Surger had to have more power than it used to cause the landslide. As soon as it stopped, I calculated just how much power would be needed to cause it. The amount was impressive, but if that had been maximum power, then the VARIS would have torn it apart. We might find practical evidence, but I can tell you that someone calculated exactly how much juice they had to pump into the ground." he calmly stated.

Suzaku looked enraged. "What about the houses that were buried? Yes, we managed to save the inhabitants and most managed to run away anyways, but were they sacrificed if it was all calculated?"

Lloyd shrugged. "Theory and practical application are very different. Maybe there was more or less water in the mountain than they had expected. Maybe there was an anomaly in the ground that influenced the speed of the landslide. Maybe the pilot screwed up. A million things can go wrong when you try to pull off something like that. But more importantly, when Zero threw that weapon at you, why didn't you dodge?" His voice had regained that slightly dangerous tone.

Suzaku's old friend, cold sweat, decided to pay him another visit. But before he could find a answer that had even a slim chance to pacify the potentially mad scientist, Cecile came to his rescue.

She bonked Lloyd on the head. "Will you knock it off? He had no way of knowing what it was, or that such damage was even possible."

Lloyd shrunk under her friendly yet lethal glare. "Well, we'd need to take Lancelot in to equip the new and safe shields anyways, so it's not that big a deal." he quickly replied. Cecile was scary when angered. Also, when angry, she tended to cook and feed whatever she made to all who hadn't left the Area her kitchen was in by the time she was done. One time, she had actually intercepted him on the way to the airport with a banana-and-sardine-salad. His stomach had taken a week to return to normal.

Fortunately, she seemed pacified. "I agree. So, what will you do in the meantime, Suzaku?"

Suzaku shrugged. "Well, I was hoping to be able to assist with the rescue, but I guess I'll have to find another Knightmare to be able to assist. Once that's done, I guess I'll spend a few days at Ashford."

Cecile smiled. "That's good. It's important to spend time with people of your own age, to improve your private life, isn't that right, Lloyd?"

Lloyd, whose expression clearly said BULLSHIT, quickly nodded. "Of course, private life is very important. I'll try to arrange you a Knightmare." Then he bolted, before Cecile had a chance to start another speech about morals and right and wrong.

Suzaku nodded, happy for the support he was receiving. He hoped that those below the earth would hold out a little longer, and that he'd find them in time.

-0-

Kallen had safely returned Zero and V.V. to the warehouse they were currently using as their base, although they'd probably move soon. Staying put too long only invited attacks. The goodbyes had been brief, and everyone soon left for home, the battle still on their minds, until Lelouch, Kallen and V.V. were the only ones left. The teens were getting ready to leave themselves, when they noticed V.V., standing in front of the Guren, a longing expression on his face.

"V.V., what's the holdup?" Lelouch asked.

Said boy sighed. "Nothing, I'm just trying to suppress my urges." he muttered.

Kallen raised a brow. "What urges?" she asked, distrusting.

V.V. sighed once more. "You might have noticed, but I have some talent with machinery. I was working on my one personal unit before I was... well, let's say kidnapped."

Kallen blinked. "You were kidnapped? Makes sense, you had to get into that capsule somehow. But where were you kidnapped from?"

Lelouch suddenly had an idea that made an evil smirk appear on his face, before he replaced it with an overly-friendly expression. "Oh, that's right, you don't know it yet. You see, V.V. was working for the _Empire_" he laid special emphasis on that word "before they decided that they wanted him as a guinea-pig more as they wanted him as an employee."

Kallen's eyes took the size of saucers and shifted towards V.V. while all color left the boy's face. He turned to run, but Kallen had him by the neck in an instant. She lifted him off the floor and slammed him against the wall. Lelouch thought he heard something break, but he wasn't worried. It'd fix itself in a few seconds. Kallen glared at the boy, who was helpless in her vice-like grip. "When you told me about that girl that the empire took and used to make Refrain, you seemed to have left out the part that you work for them!" she hissed.

Lelouch raised a brow. "What am I hearing? You lied to her, V.V.? I'm disappointed in you." he spoke, still grinning.

"I didn't lie," V.V. snapped "I simply neglected to mention a few things and let her reach her own conclusions!" Lelouch's smile widened.

"You know she can hear you, right?" And right on cue, Kallen started shaking V.V. who looked like a rag-doll in her grip, slamming his head into the wall repeatedly. An odd sense of déjà-vu overcame Lelouch, but for the life of him, he didn't know why. All he knew was that this was absolutely priceless.

V.V. on the other hand was adding up his internal injuries. 'Three broken ribs, a displaced shoulder and medium' THUMB 'scratch that, severe head-trauma. To hell with recovery, this hurts like a bitch!' "Stop it already!" he shouted "I'll talk, I'll talk, but let me go!" To his relief, Kallen unceremoniously dropped him.

"Well?" She said, after V.V. had yet to speak after a few seconds had passed.

Said boy groaned. "Give me a few seconds, I have to recover from broken bones and trauma to the head. What do you want to know?"

Kallen thought about it. "What did you do for the Emperor?" Lelouch stopped laughing, slowly becoming interested.

V.V. silently cursed. He should have seen that one coming. "I led an organization called the Geass Directorate. As the name suggests, its purpose was to study the power I have given you. Well, not specifically yours, but you get the idea."

Kallen's jaw dropped. "The Emperor has Geass-users?" she gasped.

Lelouch snorted. "Just wait, it gets better. He is one."

Kallen's glare would have molten steel. "You gave the Emperor a Geass? What can he do?"

Lelouch spoke before V.V. had a chance. "He can rewrite memories once eye-contact is established. And according to the pipsqueak, he can do that as often as he wants. And there are fifty Geass-users on Britannia's side, courtesy by ours truly. Isn't that great?" His voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"FIFTY?" Kallen screamed.

"You're blowing this way out of proportion. I told you, out of those, only between five and ten are even able to fulfill missions."

Kallen forced herself calm. "That's not very reassuring. So, they decided to use you as a test-subject, but why not simply keep you in that Directorate? It sounds like the best place for experiments of that kind?"

V.V. nodded. His contractor was sharp, that was usually good. While idiots were easy to use as tools, intelligent people were rare, and able to serve as more than cannon-fodder. And messing with sharp minds was more fun. But right now he didn't have enough contractors to be wasteful with them. Even though he liked Kallen, there was something about her that just didn't sit right with him. Perhaps it was the fact that she somewhat reminded him of Marianne, who had made rubbing him the wrong way a hobby. But he would answer Kallen's question.

"You're right of course, why ship me to this backwater island, no offense, if they could just leave me where the scientists most suited for the task could study me? I can assure you there was a good reason, in fact, there were roughly fifty good reasons why it was best to keep me far away from the Order."

Lelouch's eyebrows rose. "So, they distanced you from the Directorate so that your Geass-users wouldn't try to bail you out? Why would anyone who managed to be rid of you want to get you back?" He asked.

V.V. frowned at the barely hidden insult, but he shrugged. "As I said, most of those Geass-users are children, and I've done my best to be kind and patient with them. I also prevented exceedingly painful or dangerous operations from being performed on them, and they know it."

Lelouch snorted. "So you made the scientists do all the evil stuff while you, the child that does its best to protect all his little friends, appeared like one of them. A cruel mind-game, seeing that you're pulling all the strings, but I can see it working."

That was not the reason V.V. had acted friendly towards his contractors, though he wouldn't deny that it was a nice bonus. He simply believed that one should take good care of what was his, so he did, end of story. V.V. cleared his throat. "Anyways, since the Directorate was out of the question, they sent me to the next-best place. To a man that had interest in creating perfect soldiers, and was smart enough to actually succeed. He may very well be on the Directorate's payroll by now."

Kallen seemed satisfied, but Lelouch remembered something. "Back to the original topic, why were you staring at the Guren like that?"

V.V. laughed. "Isn't it obvious? I am very interested in technological advance, and the Guren is a masterpiece. I'm itching to take it apart, but right now that's not a good idea."

"You have the blueprints, we got them in case we had to repair the Guren." Lelouch reminded him.

V.V. snorted. "That's different. There are worlds between blueprints and the finished product."

Lelouch rolled his eyes. "Whatever. You'll get your chance to get a peek, since we have to fix the Surger."

V.V. looked like someone who had just learned that Christmas had been moved to tomorrow. "Really? Wonderful! If I can find out some things about the Surger... oh the possibilities are endless!"

"You're drooling." Kallen spoke. "And what would you do if you could get your hands on my Guren?"

V.V. thought about it. "I'd probably tune it beyond all reason, and it'd end up using all energy in a single, albeit devastating shot." he then stated, shrugging.

Kallen raised her brow. "Do you really think you could analyze, let alone tune my Guren?"

Lelouch, after seeing what V.V.'s grenade did to the Lancelot, had no doubts. "Give him a toaster and a screwdriver, and he'll build you a spaceship."

The boy grinned. "You honor me. Now, I believe its time for us to leave."

And they left, heading for Ashford, taking different routes, of course.

-0-

The next day the Student Council, sans V.V. who had pretended to be ill, assembled themselves at the hospital to visit Shirley's father. Shirley had been petrified when the call came that her father had been buried in the landslide, but hearing that he'd be fine calmed her down a bit. Milly and Lelouch had managed to convince her that there was no point in going there immediately, as the man needed rest, and he could wait till sunrise to see the daughter he hadn't expected to see for another month.

In the end, Shirley had given in, but as soon as she could, she took the train to the hospital, and Milly had all insisted they all come along. Lelouch voiced a small protest, disguised as the argument that Shirley's father would want to see Shirley, not them, not that much that much force was behind his arguments as he felt guilty about the man's situation. But Milly, being... well Milly, had ignored his arguments and that was why they were standing in front of the hospital now. At 6:40AM, twenty minutes before the visiting-hours even began.

Lelouch yawned. "You know, when I said that your father could wait till sunrise to see you, I didn't mean that we should be there at sunrise." He was in a foul mood, as was Kallen. They both hadn't exactly had much sleep, with the battle still raging in their heads, and V.V. had again taken every opportunity to mock them. But this visit was the least they could do for someone who had got caught in the crossfire. Once they reached their destination, any annoyance at V.V. was replaced by immense guilt.

Joseph Fenette was bandaged around the chest and arms, and his left leg seemed to be broken. But despite his state, he smiled when he saw them. "Shirley!" he called. "And those must be those friends you told me so much about. It's nice to meet you all."

"Likewise." They all replied. Then Shirley spoke up. "How long will you be here, daddy?"

Joseph laughed. "It's been years since you called me that." Shirley blushed, as he continued "The doctors want me to stay here for at least two weeks, to make sure my ribs heal properly."

Rivalz spoke up. "If you don't mind me asking, how did you get hurt so badly?"

Milly smacked Rivalz on the head. "Rivalz, he might not want to talk about that!" she hissed.

But Joseph merely laughed. "It's alright, Ms Ashford, I don't mind. I honestly don't remember much, all I recall is turning my head and seeing a wave of brown heading at me. I didn't even have time to run when it hit me. Next thing I remember it's completely dark and I'm trapped in a small space."

"How did you get out?" Rivalz asked.

Joseph shrugged. "I remembered something we were told on a skiing-trip. When you're buried by an avalanche and not stuck, let spit run out of your mouth or pee. From where its going you can figure out where up is and dig that way. I did, and I was lucky. Just when I gave up hope, the last few inches between me and fresh air gave way and I could crawl out. I was so high on adrenaline, I didn't even notice my leg was broken until I was almost at the hospital."

Kallen and Lelouch shared a guilty look that went unnoticed by the others, who were already chatting with Shirley's father. Kallen felt even worse, since she was the one that screwed up and pumped too much juice into the ground. Suzaku was also in a grim mood.

"Cowards. They're all just cowards. They just do what they feel like and don't care who gets caught up in they're attacks. Of course it's easy to do those things if you don't stick around to see how much damage they cause." He didn't notice that Lelouch and Kallen seemed to shrink with every word.

Rivalz scratched his his head. "Yeah, I also want to apologize to you and your father Shirley." He bowed. "When this hole thing started, I just thought how cool all this was, I even wrote in chats how the Black Knights were amazing, how incredible it was how they always beat the army even though they're outnumbered ten to one. I was stupid, and I want to say sorry."

Shirley scratched her cheek and looked at her father for help. The man just shook his head. "What's your name?" he asked the bowing boy.

"Rivalz, sir." Came the shy answer.

"Well then Rivalz, I find it alright if you adored what the Black Knights did. And I'm not narrow-minded enough to give them the entire blame. Yes, they caused the landslide that buried me, but they didn't do it to hurt or kill me. I was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time. That's fate, nobody could have predicted I'd be there."

Suzaku didn't agree. "Yes, but they are risking the lives of innocent people with their actions!"

Joseph gave him a stern but friendly look. "Yes, so does the military. However, a major difference between the two is that the military always calculates risks and is willing to sacrifice hundreds to accomplish their goals. And don't say that's not true, there isn't a single soul in Area 11 that doesn't know about Saitama, and certain rumors about Shinjuku are getting louder as well."

Now Suzaku was at a loss for words. He couldn't say what had happened there, so how would he react to this?

Joseph raised a hand. "It's alright, you don't have to tell us what really happened there, I just want you to understand that everything has two sides. Of course what the Black Knights are doing may not be right, but if you want to say that then you have to consider why they do it."

Suzaku was once again at a loss. Why they did it? Because they liked to cause unrest and couldn't accept reality, right? "Why do you think they act like this, Mister Fenette?"

Joseph smiled sadly. "They attack out of desperation. They were people like any other, living their lives. Then Britannia invaded and they lost everything. Their homes reduced to ruins, their savings confiscated, their rights stripped from them, their employments canceled, their pride trampled. They were reduced to third-class-humans, not even permitted to have a cellphone, all higher jobs made unavailable to them. A Japanese with good education could choose where he wanted to work, Elevens, no matter how well educated, are banned from anything but manual labor, jobs the Britannians don't want, and all sorts of servitude. And even if they get a job, they can be fired for no reason whatsoever. They face enormous difficulties getting medicine and lifesaving operations."

"Then why don't they just become honorary Britannians?" Suzaku inquired. It was a solution to all those problems.

Joseph sighed sadly. "First of all, they would have give up their last shred of dignity, which many are unwilling to do. Also, even if you apply, there is no guarantee you will be approved. Last I heard, the ratio application and approval was one out of three. So what should the two who didn't get approved do? And even an approval doesn't mean the end of your problems. The army is always employing, but in the civil sector, honorary Britannians are hardly better off than Elevens because discrimination doesn't just stop when told to. People are getting desperate if they have to fear their children might die in their arms of hunger or disease. Starving people quickly loose their fear of guns. If you suppress people long enough, they will rebel. It's human nature not to accept injustice done to themselves. This is true for the other Areas as well, this one just has the best organized resistance."

Suzaku couldn't deny anything, mainly because he had to admit he didn't have the necessary knowledge, having enlisted in the army as soon as he had his citizenship. What if the man was right? "Why are you defending them like this?" he asked.

Joseph shrugged. "I'm not, I'm just giving you my opinion. You seem to have a very simple view of the world, no offense, and I just want you to understand that they're not doing it just because they're evil or want to hurt others."

The other members of the Student Council had just watched the dialog in silence, Kallen keeping track of the score for Lelouch. Currently it stood: _Shirley's father: 3, Suzaku: 0_

Lelouch smiled. Mister Fenette's speech had done wonders for his and Kallen's mood.

Suzaku tried one last time. "And you're not angry at all? That you're in the hospital because of them. You could have died!"

Joseph nodded. "I know, and it thank god that I didn't. Am I angry? Maybe not happy being here, but angry? No, not really. I owe the Black Knights something I'll never be able to repay."

Suzaku looked at him as if he'd lost his mind. "What did they do that would deserve such praise?"

Joseph reached up and gently patted his daughter's head, much to her embarrassment. "They saved my daughter's life. And as long as I live, I won't forget that."

Suzaku looked at him. "The military would have managed that as well, the Black Knights just pulled a fast one!"

Now Lelouch spoke. "Suzaku, if the Black Knights hadn't been there, Shirley, Milly and Nina would be dead."

"What makes you say that?" Suzaku was nearly livid.

Lelouch sighed. "Common sense, that's what. The JLF destroyed all entrances, therefore all exits, but one, and the army was waiting there. They never had any intention of escaping, it was a do-and-die operation. Do you agree?"

Suzaku nodded, already knowing these facts. Lelouch continued. "Now, if they were planning to die, why should they leave the hostages alive?"

Suzaku was shocked. Lelouch was right, as always. They had already shown that they didn't care about the hostages when they threw the man off the building and threatened that another hostage would take that fall every thirty minutes. "And when the support-pillars were destroyed and the building sank..."

Lelouch nodded. "The one's guarding the hostages would have panicked and most likely opened fire on the hostages. And you could see in television they had machine-guns. By the time the army would have found them, it's unlikely anyone would be alive."

Milly, Shirley and Nina had grown pale during Lelouch's speech, only now truly realizing just how close they'd been to death that day.

Joseph nodded. "And that's why Zero and his Black Knights have my eternal gratitude." he stated.

Suzaku nodded absently, he was in shock. His actions at Kawaguchi had nearly condemned his friends to death. If Zero hadn't been there, their blood would be on his hands.

He was almost glad when the nurse showed up and kicked them out, stating Shirley's father needed rest.

-0-

V.V. looked up when he heard the door. Lelouch entered, but instead of talking, he sat down and waited. Five minutes later, Kallen walked in. V.V. raised a brow. "Now that we're all here, mind telling me what's going on?"

Kallen stared at the floor. "We visited Shirley's dad. He got hurt pretty bad in the landslide. But on the bright side, he's grateful for his daughter's life before all else, and didn't condemn our actions."

V.V. raised a brow. "And to think, it took me half an hour to explain the difference between necessary sacrifice and reckless manslaughter when Lelouch wanted to go full blast."

Lelouch glared at him. "It took five minutes, and only because you're in love with the sound of your own voice."

The immortal shrugged. "Felt like half an hour. But you learned something important today. Both about the nature of your battle, and its horrors. It's so much easier to use wide-scale destruction tactics if you don't stay and look at the aftermath. That is part of the reason Britannia has an infatuation with explosives, they burn and bury the ugly truths away with them."

Lelouch looked down. "You're right, it's much easier to do vile acts if you don't have to stick around to see the results. Not the pain the victims feel, nor the countless tears that are spilled over them."

V.V. knew that Lelouch was, once again, thinking about Marianne. "But in the end, what's done is done. All we can do now is keep marching forward. This is a war. Hesitate, and you will die. Of course, we lack both the manpower and the machinery to drive Britannia out of Japan, at least for now."

Lelouch looked up. "Oh, and I met another Immortal at Narita. She had green hair and amber eyes."

V.V. jumped up. "Are you sure? Of course you are, she's not exactly easy to forget! What is that witch thinking?"

Lelouch raised a brow. "You seem to know her well enough, mind filling us in?"

The Immortal shrugged. "Not much to know. Hundreds of years old. Looks to be seventeen. Annoying as hell. She is easily bored, so she made up a little game. To get her basic cooperation, we simply have to find her. Think of it as hide and seek. To get her to work with us, we need to bait her, though that won't be a problem. And once she knows you well enough, she'll judge whether or not you may be able to grant her wish, and if she thinks you do, she'll go through hell to help you."

"So all we need to do is find a _green_-haired woman here in Japan? How hard can that be?"

V.V. snorted. "Harder than you can imagine. She's had centuries, perhaps more than a millennium for all I know, to perfect staying under the radar. If she doesn't want to be found, she won't be. No, this will be tough. But enough of that. You both know there's a meeting tonight, so get some rest, you look terrible."

Lelouch and Kallen couldn't argue there, and it sounded like they wouldn't get that much rest tonight either, so they'd try to hit the sac for a few hours before the next meeting of the Black Knights.

What V.V. didn't tell them, simply because he didn't think it that important, was that he was waiting for a letter from Kyoto. Nothing important, but extra funding was never bad. But the meeting between those two parties needed to be arranged carefully. It would be on Kyoto's turf, so it had to go by _their_ rules.

-0-

Bartley was not in a good mood, despite the fact that her could return to a well-equipped research-center in the Tokyo Settlement, with the Emperor's blessing. The reason was simple.

Princess Cornelia had somehow found out he had Gottwald, and while she didn't confiscate him since he volunteered, she had been very clear that she wanted him mentally intact and unchanged. She had also warned him that if there were any mental changes, Bartley just might disappear under mysterious circumstances and never be seen again, no matter how saddened the Emperor would be by that. Cornelia was not the type of person to make threats she wouldn't keep, so many things he had planned with Gottwald were now out of the question.

But on the bright side, Kewel had no such limitations, so he'd probably be their prototype, while Gottwald would be the finished version. Although he had yet to decide what to do with Gottwald's empty eye-socket. He'd probably put something special in there, but what? Sighing, he pulled his ID-card through the scanner and the door to his new lab opened.

"You are late." The voice suddenly rang out of the dark lab, and Bartley nearly suffered a heart-attack. Then he gathered his courage.

"Who are you? What are you doing here? I can have you executed for this!"

The voice sounded mildly amused. "Is that so? Rolo, turn on the lights."

"Understood." Now Bartley was worried. There were at least two people here, and one was right next to him! The lights turned on, and Bartley saw that the one who was standing next to him, hand on the light-switch, was just a teenager with brown hair. He turned back to the original speaker, and gasped.

"It can't be!"

* * *

Chapter 15 is complete. And once again, it's longer than usual and I still didn't get as far as I wanted to. Originally I thought I'd be past Kyoto and close to Mao by now, but it seems that I'm a little too detailed and complex with my writing. One of my problems, I like to go into details, sometimes I loose myself in them. That is where the devil resides, after all.

Anyways, I decided to let Shirley's father live. Why he survived is as likely as a meteor hitting someone, but it could happen. One of the main reasons I'm sparing him is that while I still use the series as a major crutch, I like doing things that few people did before me, hence I spared Clovis and made two cyborgs, though they have yet to appear. Shirley probably won't be geassed, though I'm really not sure what to do with her yet.

And I found an explanation as to why V.V. wasn't simply left at the Order. I hope it's plausible, but when I started this fic, I honestly hadn't really thought about why he would be there in the first place. I thank my readers for pointing out that flaw, and I hope that this is at least somewhat satisfying.

And getting C.C.'s help is easier than it seems. Or is it? Catching her will not be easy, especially without a huge army, security-cameras and all those other gadgets that Bartley and Clovis probably used to get her.

And while V.V. may daydream about making Surger-based weaponry, he currently lacks both the resources and the manpower for such operations, so he won't be bale to do much. Although Rakshata is going to have a field-day with him.

And regarding All That Is Left Unsaid's review, after rereading it, I have to agree, the quality isn't what it could be. Not horrible, but not great either. I blame it on the hurry I was in to use the few minutes I had on a computer to write, the wish to get the chapter up before carefully rereading it in a relaxed state of mind, and the fact that I'm an amateur at writing and am still struggling with fight-scenes amongst other things. I apologize to my readers and vow to get better.

Now onto the Questions.

1. Lelouch now knows the identity of the Lancelot's pilot much sooner than he did in canon. How do you think this will affect future events?

2. Now Lelouch has to find C.C.. How and when do you think they'll succeed?

3. Rolo is in Area 11, and he's there to stay. How will his presence influence things? When will the Black Knights learn of him?

4. Who is the man in the background that scared Bartley?

5. Could you just point out things you especially like or dislike in and about my story, both in this chapter and generally? I'd just like to know what parts I'm good at and what needs more training.

6. The usual. What can I do better, on a scale from 1 to 10, etc...

7. Tell me whatever you want to tell me.

To All That Is Left Unsaid: I agree, the shock-images would've worked, but my V.V. just hasn't figured out how to do them yet. I'd imagine learning something like that would take a century or two, especially without direct contact.

To MisterSP: About Markus's power. You're almost right. It induces something, just not rage.

To Tomas the Betrayer: My first thought when I read your review was WTF, but after rethinking, it is hilarious. I might actually find a way to grant a Geass-user the ability to make others loose the control of their internal functions, though it'd probably be a kid in the Directorate and it'd just be for comic relief.

Regarding inuboy86's PM: All in good time my friend, the chapters will come out when they do, rushing only decreases the quality. and believe it or not, I have a life outside of FF.

I think I'm done for now, so it's your turn:

Please Review


	16. Kyoto and Mao

Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I don't own CG

* * *

Bartley stared at the man who was calmly sitting in his chair. "It can't be!"

The man nodded. "It can and it is."

Bartley dropped to one knee, not an easy task for one of his statue. "My lord, please forgive my insolence. What could the Knight of One possibly want with me?"

Bismark looked at him. "His majesty has certain wishes that he'd like you to grant."

Bartley still stared at the floor, not daring to raise his head. He had threatened the Knight of One, how could he have been so stupid? "Anything for his majesty. What is my task?"

Bismark sounded satisfied. "Good. There is something within the samples you took from the test subject that the emperor wants you to extract. And you may rise."

Bartley slowly got back on his feet, trying not to fall. "The abilities of regeneration the subject had?"

Bismark shook his head, before his expression became thoughtful. "No. Actually, indirectly yes. The emperor wants you to extract something called the Code from the samples. That Code was what produced the regeneration, although that is only a side-effect."

Bartley's eyes widened. A side-effect? If Immortality was a side-effect, then what was the main purpose? "If I may inquire, what is the main purpose?"

Bismark seemed to think. "It's... an activation key of sorts. What precisely it activates need not concern you." he added.

Bartley nodded quickly. "Of course. I just thought that it might be better if I had a clear idea what to search for, my lord."

Bismark raised a brow, the man had made a valid point. He raised a folder. "This will give you a better idea of what's going on. Rolo will be under your command, as will be the rest of the Directorate."

Bartley was confused. "The Directorate, my lord?"

Bismark nodded. "Indeed. You have been chosen as the temporary, and I stress the word _temporary_, leader of the Geass Directorate, as the one who was supposed to take it over had a... rather unfortunate accident a few weeks after taking office."

Rolo managed to keep a strait face. Accident was not the word he'd use to describe it, deathtrap would come closer to the truth. The man had tyrannized all Geass-users, and when they couldn't hold it any longer, they retaliated. Not that he had any hand in that, but still there was no need for anyone to know the details.

Bartley was somewhere between glee and confusion. Being leader of something like this, even a temporary one, sounded good, but why him? And how much good could this Rolo-kid be? He decided to voice his second question. "Not to be disrespectful my lord, but what good could this child be?"

Rolo looked at Bismark and received a short nod. He looked at Bartley... and vanished!

Bartley was shocked for a second, then he felt a gun-barrel put on the back of his bald head. He slowly reached for his holster, only to find it empty. The boy was threatening him with his own weapon! "H-H-How?" He stammered.

He was willing to swear that Bismark's lips had curled for an instant, before passiveness regained his hold on his face. "Don't underestimate him, he is one of the Empire's best assassins. He holds a special power, as do others in the Directorate. What you will learn here will change your world forever. Understand that while your scientists may be informed as they'll be needed, if you give any information about anything even remotely involved with the Directorate to a third party, you will be executed. Have I made myself clear?"

Bartley nodded quickly. "Crystal-clear, my lord. I will start as soon as possible. But I hope you'll permit me to continue my current work?"

Bismark sagely nodded. "You may. The Emperor is curious what will come of it, especially once it's combined with the information in this folder. You may also get additional information from the Directorate if needed. Unfortunately not everything, the leader before your predecessor was rather paranoid and locked up all important data."

Bartley nearly frowned, but decided to go back to his usual behavior towards his betters: sucking up. "Surely only a temporary problem the Empire will soon solve."

For the first time, Bismark frowned. "Unfortunately no, many good programmers have tried, and failed, to unlock the data. So you will have to work with what's there. Still, his majesty has high expectations for you, and I would advise you not to let him down." With that, he stood up and left the still confused and shocked Bartley to his own thoughts and devices.

-0-

Kallen, V.V. and Lelouch, disguised as Zero, had made their way back to their comrades-in-arms. Right now they didn't have any too urgent plans, as both Cornelia and the JLF were busy licking their wounds. Which left the Black Knights with a day of peace that everyone knew would soon become rare. Soon, they would return to their business of stopping corruption and fighting Britannia, but right now, they had no information about any corruption that would require them to move out. V.V. had mentioned he was waiting for a letter, but didn't go into detail.

So all there was to do right now was sit in the command-center, listening to Tamaki babbling like an idiot. Wait, scratch the 'like', he is one. Ohgi and V.V. were going through mail, V.V. doing the main work, reasoning that even if someone send them a letterbomb, it wouldn't do anything to him. And today, mail from Kyoto finally arrived. But...

"What the fuck?" he muttered to himself. There were two letters! He took the first and analyzed it. It didn't feel like anything but paper inside of it, and holding it against the light didn't reveal anything suspicious either. So he carefully began to open it, starting at one end, then pausing to take a sniff at the air coming out of the envelope. Paper and ink, nothing else. He opened and unfolded it carefully, then he started reading. It was what he had been waiting for, a request for a meeting from Kyoto. He handed it to Ohgi, who had started looking at him like he was beginning to loose it. Ohgi's eyes wandered down the letter and a smile appeared on his face.

"You mind if I show this to Zero right away?" Ohgi asked, sounding excited. V.V. shrugged, the universal gesture for 'Do whatever you want.' Ohgi nodded and was gone while V.V. turned his attention to the second letter.

"Here we go again." he muttered as he repeated the entire procedure. Finding nothing unusual, he again started reading. His emotionless mask slipped. "This is..."

-0-

Lelouch was starting to wonder why he came today. Sure, it was important to uphold friendly relationships with one's underlings, but there was nothing to do but listening to Tamaki brag about his achievements, both inside and outside of a Knightmare. Kallen was sitting close, so Lelouch used his chance. He leaned slightly so that only she could hear him. "I finally know what the braggart is good for."

Kallen raised a brow. Honestly, she had been trying to figure that out for years. "What?" she whispered back.

Behind his mask, Lelouch smirked. "Comic relief."

Kallen suppressed a giggle. The others were starting to look her way, but before any questions could be asked, Ohgi unknowingly came to her rescue as he walked in with a letter, gaining all attention.

He handed the letter to Zero. Zero looked at him. "What is it?"

Ohgi smirked. "Love letter."

"From you?" Zero retorted. Tamaki burst into laughter.

"And they say you have no sense of humor. So much for rumors."

Ohgi cleared his throat. "Two letters from Kyoto arrived today, V.V. is still checking the other one for something, don't ask me what."

Lelouch tilted his head. "Why two letters? Couldn't they just send it in one envelope?"

Ohgi blinked. "Oh." So that was why V.V. had been so suspicious. He shrugged and Lelouch turned his attention to the letter. Kyoto was requesting a meeting.

Lelouch looked up. "And this is important?"

Ohgi stared. "Important? This is Kyoto we're talking about! If they support us, then we'll enter a whole new league. Our money-problems would be..."

"Money-problems? What money-problems? There should be no problems as long as we keep to the budget I designed." Lelouch asked.

Ohgi couldn't help but glance at Tamaki, a fact that nobody missed, and soon, all eyes were on him.

"What? You think this is my fault? We're turning into a big organization, it's only logical that more needs to be spent!"

Kallen smirked. "Like on dinners with the noobs?"

"How did you...?"

Inue grinned as well. "That's right, we know where you take them."

Lelouch sighed, he should have known. What had possessed him to allow that imbecile to regulate their cash? "Enough. For now, Ohgi will be in charge of our finances."

"What? No Zero, I'm in charge of our money!" Tamaki shouted.

"If you want me to trust you with such an important task, then prove worthy of that trust." Lelouch calmly stated.

Tamaki snorted. "You right. You have some nerve, talking about trust when you never take off that mask." The tension rose to the point where it could be cut with a knife. Nobody seemed willing to say anything until Kallen jumped up.

"Tamaki, his actions speak for themselves. He lead us to victory, that should be enough for us to trust him."

Tamaki glared at her. "Easy for you to say. I noticed you and Zero act a lot more familiar with each other now. Maybe you already saw his face, he has to take it off sometime. He can't sleep in it, now can he?"

Ohgi brought his fist down on the table. "TAMAKI!" He shouted, before calming himself. "That was going too far, do you even realize what you were hinting at?"

Tamaki blinked apparently only now understanding what he had just suggested. "Sorry Kallen, that was over the top. I don't know what came over me."

Kallen gave a short nod, apparently not in the mood to talk to Tamaki right now. Said man looked at Zero. "I still say that you should let me handle our money, I mean..."

Lelouch ignored Tamaki's further ranting in favor of V.V., who had just entered, the other letter in hand. Kallen spotted him as well. "So, what else did Kyoto send us?"

V.V. sounded emotionless, but Lelouch and Kallen could hear the amusement in his voice. "Love letter." he answered.

Tamaki snorted. "Nice try brat, but second time, the joke is old."

V.V. tossed Lelouch the folded paper. Lelouch caught and opened it... and grimaced behind his mask as he read.

Kallen leaned over his shoulder to read as well, and started gaping. "What is it?" Ohgi asked, worried.

Kallen gulped. "It's... a love letter."

…

Silence, then

"WHAAT?" Only their respect of Zero kept them from charging to get the letter.

Lelouch looked at the whole thing again.

_Dear Zero-sama,_

_It must be surprising to receive this letter. I am Kaguya Sumeragi, your biggest fan and future wife. I have been carefully observing ever since your debut at Shinjuku, and you are the greatest strategist I've ever seen. I admire your courage and audacity to appear in front of Cornelia. You may not know it, but I was amongst the freed hostages at that event (Kirihara had said something about after landing there it'd be suspicious if I got called out and escorted away). And using the mountain for your offensive was brilliant. I jumped in joy when you escaped again._

_But on a more serious page, I have to warn you. Kirihara is adamant about finding out your identity, and mentioned that he'd force you to take off your mask (Meanie). So I offer my help. I can smuggle one person into the meeting place beforehand. I wrote where to meet me in the envelope (Sending someone else is fine, password Zero banzai). Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend the meeting (Kirihara's a bully), but I hope we will meet soon._

_Your Darling, Kaguya_

Lelouch stared at the letter. The girl had actually put on lipstick and left a smooch on the paper, just below he signature. He knew Kaguya personally, and she couldn't be older than fourteen! On the other hand, she seemed to either have a really big crush, or for some reason complete and absolute faith in Zero and his Black Knights. Lelouch knew Kaguya was anything but stupid, and she had just given away the identities of two leaders of Kyoto, herself and Kirihara. Of course Lelouch had already found out the identities of the leaders of the Six Houses of Kyoto, but still.

Another valuable information was that it was Kirihara that would be meeting them, just as he hoped. With him, Lelouch wouldn't even have to use Geass to convince them. But while unmasking himself in front of Kirihara had been something he had planned on, he really didn't need every small-fry in Kyoto, or the Black Knights for that matter, to know Zero's face. And Kaguya had just given him the perfect solution. He had considered changing places with someone and geassing his way to the meeting, but was forced to trash the idea. He needed someone he could trust to take his place, a geassed doll was no option.

If he used a resistance-member, the others would later ask that member questions he wouldn't be able to answer. If he used a stranger, that would only lead to even more unanswerable questions, like who is that and where is he now. So he needed someone that would willingly do it, but that's where the problem lay. There were only two people he could theoretically ask, and both weren't suited for the task. V.V. was too short to be Zero, and Kallen was too... curvaceous. Her figure would give her away instantly. If Lelouch had free pick, he'd taken Suzaku, but said boy unfortunately decided to fight for the other side for some abstract reason.

So he had to attend in person. But that didn't mean Kallen couldn't meet with Kaguya and be his ace in the hole at that meeting. He folded the letter, pulled out a lighter and set it ablaze. While the others looked in shock, Lelouch managed to give Kallen the envelope unnoticed. She immediately understood and gave him an almost imperceptible nod.

Tamaki on the other hand was upset. "Hey, I wanted to read that!" He shouted.

A soft mutter originating from V.V. caught their attention. "He knows. Guess why he burned it."

Understanding slowly conquered Tamaki's face, a rare occurrence. "You mean he didn't want us to...? No fair!" Then he realized something. "Wait, you read the letter. What did it say? Tell us!"

Lelouch and Kallen were the only ones that caught the slight twitch in the corner of V.V.'s mouth. "It does not concern you, or me for that matter. So I have forgotten it already."

Kallen snorted quietly. Both she and Lelouch knew that he hadn't forgotten, nor would he ever allow Lelouch to forget it. Because it wasn't anything he could use against Kallen, she wasn't worried. Lelouch on the other hand knew he'd never live this down in a thousand years, that much he read out of the gleam in V.V.'s eyes. He cleared his throat. "The content of that letter is not important. What is important is that thanks to _someone's_ blunder, we now have little choice but to attend this meeting, so cancel all appointments for tomorrow."

Kallen took her cue. "Zero, I will not be able to attend, there are some family-problems that I have to attend to." Is sounded convincing, having happened before.

Zero nodded. "Very well. It's a bit sad that we have to make due without our best pilot, but it can't be helped. Maybe it's for the best, some extremists might think you're Britannian and start a fight. I'll already have hell with justifying V.V.'s presence. Two might really send them over the edge." Silently, he congratulated both himself and Kallen for their acting skills. Ohgi and the others had completely bought it, and Kallen's path was clear. Now all she had to do was get into a position where she could start an ambush, but with her Geass, it wouldn't be too difficult.

Honestly, he was looking forward to tomorrow.

-0-

Meanwhile, a white-haired man wearing visors and a headset left the airport. He had booked a flight with a small plane that only carried him and the pilot, and managed to get into Area 11 without a fuss.

He took a look around and sighed. "C.C., where are you? You know I can't use my Geass to find you. Maybe I can enlist some people to help me look, it shouldn't be too hard since I know all their secrets, or will soon anyway. The military sounds like a good idea."

He glanced back at the airport behind him and shuddered. "I hate airports, there is so much noise."

-0-

Kallen was tense. This girl, Kaguya, had chosen a location close to the fence surrounding the Fuji-mines as a meeting-point. Sure it was cloudy, and dense fog had started to rise, but still, if someone caught her, 'I was waiting for someone would not be a believable excuse.' To her infinite relief, a small girl appeared on the other side, smiling at her.

Lelouch had described Kaguya to her as good as his memories allowed, and this girl seemed to match. She smiled. "Kaguya Sumeragi, I presume?"

The girl tilted her head. "Maybe." she replied.

Kallen rolled her eyes. "Zero banzai." she muttered, blushing because slightly embarrassed, and Kaguya's face brightened.

"Yep, I'm Kaguya. It's a shame that Zero couldn't come, but oh well. So, how do you want to crash Kirhara-sama's party?" she asked, her voice sounding absolutely sweet and innocent. Too sweet and innocent.

Kallen grinned, she was starting to like this girl. "Any chance I can get in a Knightmare?"

-0-

Lelouch was tense. As he had predicted, his escorts sent by Kyoto had not been too happy with V.V., who had insisted he came along. Probably the fact that he had dressed in his prison-clothes had been the reason they were pacified enough not to shoot the kid on the spot, not that it'd have any point. Said boy was walking to his right, keeping a pace that made sure Lelouch would always be in front of him. It was important to retain a certain image. The other Black Knights were closely behind them, Ohgi was right next to V.V..

The drive had been calm, almost relaxed, if not for Tamaki's endless attempts to start a conversation. But everyone was mentally steeling themselves for the meeting that would have a massive influence on their entire future.

Lelouch was glancing at V.V., impatiently waiting for the signal, much like the young immortal. He had given Kallen a communicator, hiding the earpiece-receiver with his hair, and given her simple instructions.

-0-

_Flashback_

_"Here Kallen, take this." V.V. tossed her a communicator._

_She blinked. "What for?"_

_V.V. sighed. "Even with your Geass, we can't be completely sure that you're in position. And we can't risk long communications, or you might be located. So if you're in position, give three clicks."_

_Kallen nodded. It wasn't that hard, a preschooler could do it. She looked at V.V., completely soldier. "And in case I can't take position?"_

_The immortal scratched his cheek. "Then you send two clicks. Simple as that. And now it's time for you to leave."_

_Kallen nodded and turned away when V.V. remembered something. "Oh, and do me a favor."_

_Kallen stopped and looked at him. "Sure, what?"_

_V.V. gave her a serious look. "Don't send two clicks."_

_End of Flashback_

-0-

What was taking her so long? Lelouch understood that delays were sometimes unavoidable, but that knowledge didn't make him feel any better. He knew that to a certain extent, his life was completely in Kallen's hands, and that really didn't sit right with him. Of course he had known when he started this war that there would be times where his life depended on others, but he had promised himself that day when his father had banished them that he would never again be helpless, depending on the mercy of others.

And right now, there was nothing he could do but wait and hope for someone else not to screw up. It left a slightly bitter taste, although he knew he'd get used to it.

V.V. was also on edge. What was taking Kallen so long? Even without her Geass, she was athletic enough to grind most people into the dirt. Then, finally, his earpiece gave a sound. He tensed.

"Crk" That was one.

"Crk" Two. Come on, just one more. Please.

Nothing. V.V. silently cursed. Then "Crk" Thank heaven. He gave Lelouch the signal.

Someone who didn't know him wouldn't be able to tell, but Lelouch was suddenly very relaxed.

-0-

Finally they arrived in a large room, their meeting room. Tamaki felt the need to show what an amateur he was by running for the window as soon as they entered.

"NO WAY! We're in the Fuji-mines, do you know what they do to intruders? Execute them." He shouted.

V.V. silently rolled his eyes. "And now you know why."

"Disgusting." A third voice spoke. They turned to see a man in a veiled seat, two guards stationed in front of him. The man, Kirihara as Lelouch knew, continued. "Mount Fuji, once known for clear water and fresh air. Now it looks like this, a image of our Japan, infested by Britannia."

Lelouch looked at him. It was definitely Kirihara. The silhouette, the voice, everything matched. Now to play with his head a bit. "Indeed, but seeing that we are holding our meeting here, then you obviously have at least some part in this advancing desecration of the holy mountain."

The guards did not like those words at all and reached for their weapons. "Why you little..."

But Kirihara interrupted. "Enough. He is right, in order to gather the resources necessary to assist Japan's rebirth, we have done things we are not proud of. Zero, can you say you haven't?"

Images flashed before his eyes, how he shot Clovis, how he raised a weapon to Euphy's face, how he had lied to Nunnally when Japan was conquered, even if it had been for the best. "No, I can't. In our crusades against Britannia, anyone who hasn't done things he's not proud of is either mentally sick or hasn't done anything. But I believe that we didn't come here to discuss how much dirt we have sticking to us, if I remember correctly, you were offering some sort of assistance for our cause."

Behind the veil, Kirihara nodded. "True words. However you will surely understand that in our situation, especially since we already revealed our headquarters to you, we can't simply support enigmas, especially if said enigmas bring Britannians with them. You are a wild-card, we know nothing about your goals or what drives you. You will understand that in order to trust you, we need to at least see your face." His words were still ringing in their ears when four Burai rolled out of the shadows.

Lelouch sighed, such dramatics. Then again, who was he to talk? V.V.'s thoughts had been similar, he could read it in the boy's eyes, together with his annoyance. The others hadn't been expecting anything like this and didn't take it as well. They panicked, shock the instinct that running would only make it worse being all that kept them from making a break for it.

Kirhara spoke again. "Which one of you is Ohgi?"

Said man looked up. "That's me."

Behind the veil, Kirihara nodded. "You will remove Zero's mask."

Shocked silence reigned, then Ohgi gulped and slowly turned to Zero. "I'm sorry, but there's no choice. Please, give us a reason to believe in you."

Lelouch raised his hand, and Ohgi stopped, confused. Then Lelouch spoke. "Very well Ohgi, I'll grant that wish. Only, not how you may expect." Then he slowly took a few steps forward until he was standing just before the Frames.

He sighed loudly and shook his head. "Really, is all this necessary? I think you're going a bit overboard. Even you have to admit that you're blowing this out of proportion, Kirihara."

"I don't think so, you are known to be... What did you call me?" He choked out.

Lelouch smirked. "Really, I hadn't expected that Taizo Kirihara, spokesperson of the Six Houses of Kyoto was hard of hearing."

Here the guards lost it. They pointed their guns at Lelouch. "Anyone who can identify him must die! Especially if he collaborates with the enemy!" The one who shouted changed his aim to V.V., who was completely calm.

Lelouch had enough. "That's far enough." He snipped his fingers. For a second, nothing happened, then, in an instant, one of the Knightmares disarmed the others with its Slash Harkens and Stun-Tonfas before pointing the barrel of the oversized rifle at Kirihara. The cockpit opened and revealed Kallen, a remote-trigger in her hands.

She looked at the Burai and sighed. "I've been spoiled. After the Guren, these things are just so crude and ineffective."

Ohgi was in shock. "Kallen? What are you doing here? I thought..."

Kallen gave him a apologetic glance. "Sorry, but Zero predicted something like this and we needed you all to be convincing."

Lelouch meanwhile walked up to the seething Kirihara. "Taizo Kirihara, called the Traitor for collaborating with Britannia. Yet at the same time, you assist multiple resistances all over the country. A double, or rather triple-agent, rather cliché. And this scheme of yours was also lacking originality, you have become predictable and your methods and thinking are outdated."

Kirihara was furious at how Zero had flipped the entire situation to his needs. "Why you..."

Said man shrugged. "But you are correct, I am not Japanese!"

The Black Knights sans Kallen were shocked. They started muttering with each other, sentences like "Are you serious?" and "No wonder he never showed his face." flying around.

Kirihara remained composed. "Then why do you fight for Japan?"

Lelouch's face became solemn, not that anyone noticed. "Because I must. There is no other path that I can take." He chuckled. "Even though I knew it'd be you, I'm still glad." He reached for his mask, then taking it off, the dim light assuring that nobody but Kirihara and Kallen would see it. "It's been a while, Kirihara."

Kirihara's eyes widened. "You!" Then he began to chuckle, harder and harder until it was full-blown laughter. "So the seed planted eight years ago has finally bloomed. This is even better than I hoped." He stated before shouting. "Ohgi! This man is a mortal enemy of Britannia whose face must remain hidden for vital reasons. As long as you follow him, I guarantee you our assistance, financially and otherwise."

Lelouch bowed. "I am grateful."

Kirihara raised the veil and looked him in the eyes. "Are you embarking on the path of blood?"

Lelouch smiled as he replaced his mask. "Perhaps one day it will be called that. But I am not embarking on a path, I am making, or perhaps carving, my own, and if it leads to hell, then that will be my destiny."

-0-

Suzaku stood in one of Lloyd's labs, wondering what he was doing here. He had received the order to get here ASAP, but no one bothered to tell him why. Then the door opened and Lloyd... danced in. Apparently, he was in a good mood. "Ah Kururugi, you're already here. There's good news and better news, what do you want first?"

Cecile showed up behind him and bonked him in the head. "Lloyd, not everyone thinks that it's great like you do."

Lloyd rubbed his head and nodded. "Sorry, sorry, my bad. Anyways, the good news is that Lancelot is fixed ahead of schedule, so it's fully operational."

Cecile sighed. "And to the joy of this oversize child here, the Vincent is also nearly complete, although there is some fine-tuning that needs to be done. But for that tuning, we still need a bit more data."

Suzaku blinked. While that was apparently good news, he didn't understand what all this had to do with him. Lloyd was only too eager to answer that.

"Which leads us to the bett... bad news." He quickly corrected himself after catching Cecile's glare. "That red Knightmare has made everyone a bit jumpy, and Cornelia ordered the Vincent be completed as soon as possible."

Cecile tapped her foot. "Lloyd, I remember her using slightly different words."

Lloyd started sweating. "Oh yeah, you're right. She wanted it done in three days at most or there will be... _consequences._"

Suzaku gulped. "What kind of consequences?"

Lloyd sweat-dropped, this kid was just too naive at times. "She didn't go into detail, and it really wasn't necessary to do so. Use your imagination."

Suzaku nodded. "Okay, dumb question, but there are two things I want to know." Lloyd and Cecile nodded. "The first is why in three days? And secondly, what does this have to do with me being here? I mean, even though I'm officially in the Engineering-department, I know next to nothing about how to build Knightmares."

Lloyd nodded. "Very good questions, I'll try to answer before we get started. Intel says that in three days, one of the leaders of the shattered JLF will try to leave Area 11 by tanker and her highness Cornelia wants to nail him then. They want the Vincent in case there's some kind of trouble. That red machine the BK had was on somewhat equal level as the Lancelot and Cornelia wants it double-teamed if it shows. As for your job in all this, we need data to complete the Vincent, that's your job."

Suzaku blinked. "My job?"

Cecile nodded. "You see, the Lancelot-project's early stages had a few problems. Our first prototype, the Lancelot Club, had so many quirks it was impossible to operate. The Lancelot was better, but it left the problem that ordinary pilots couldn't use it properly, or at all, to be honest. But by a stroke of good luck, we got you, who was able to use it perfectly. So now that the higher-ups know that we're doing more than wasting money, they wanted more of units of Lancelot's quality, so we're building the Vincent. Now Vincent is supposed to be operated by other, less gifted pilots, so we have to... dumb the entire system down. However, we need data of how Lancelot works to simplify the functions, which is why we do all those tests with you."

Slowly things connected in Suzaku's head. "So you want me to pilot the Lancelot in order to learn what you have to know in order to finish this Vincent of yours. Okay, I'm ready."

Lloyd smiled. "I love this kid. We'll get started right away. Oh, one more thing, what do you prefer, coffee or Coke?"

Suzaku blinked. "What?"

Lloyd shrugged. "We're pulling an all-nighter, so you'll need caffeine to make it through. So, which source do you want?"

Suzaku shrugged it off. "Coke please."

Lloyd nodded. "We're ordering out today, so you don't have to cook anything, Cecile." He tried his best to sound casual, but his entire happiness and a good part of his health was riding on this. Luckily for him, Cecile nodded, her mind already on the tests needed to get the data.

-0-

Bartley looked at the folder he had just finished reading. He couldn't believe that this rational conflict of firepower had been dragged into the realm of the paranormal. This Geass was a frightening power, and it was frustrating to know that he had had it's source and let it slip through his fingers.

But the fact that it was gone worried him. If he couldn't control this V.V.-kid, then who knows what powers it may grant to the wrong people, like Zero.

Having no way of gaining more powers, Bartley did what any coward would do if he learned that the enemy had powers he didn't: He looked for weaknesses. Then he remembered reading something about a Geass Canceler. He took the folder, and there it was.

The Geass Canceler was a device that's purpose laid in creating a field that not only blocked, but completely erased all Geass inside of it. The only problem was, since it was developed on the basis of Geass, it was a bio-machine of sorts. Even though the Canceler could automatically react when exposed to Geass, it needed a human mind to properly function. Without a human host, it wouldn't build up the field and couldn't be willingly activated. While it wasn't impossible to develop a device that would work without being integrated in a human, that would have to be researched and would take months at least.

Then Bartley remembered Jeremiah Gottwald's empty socket. 'I did want to put something special in there, and what could be more special that a device that will nullify what the users probably consider the most powerful weapon of all times? And lucky me, it says here that the design of such a Canceler-eye already exists, all we have to do is build and improve it, child's play for the likes of myself and my workers. And in the meantime, I could use the boy to my advantage. If I remember correctly, one of Asplund's new toys is nearing completion. The reports say that the kid is a pretty good pilot, so why not use him as such? His Geass, besides being perfect for assassination, could also be useful in combat and if he croaks, I can always order for a replacement.'

-0-

Lelouch was restless. The meeting with Kyoto the day before had gone well, but right now, there was nothing to do. He had started planning for the eventual recapture of Japan, but that was still so far away that there was little point in drawing up complex plans that would have to be revised or totally trashed when new circumstances arose.

V.V. had not been in mood for conversation, all he did nowadays was looking through the Guren's blueprints, muttering something about absolute genius and putting notes, ideas would be Lelouch's guess, in a small notebook.

Kallen ironically was really having to deal with some issues at home and was not taking visits, not that he had any intention of visiting her. He had heard about Kallen's bitch of a stepmother, both from Kallen herself and the Emperors of the rumor-mills, V.V. and Milly, and what he'd heard was not exactly good. Apart from being a tramp, she was terribly nosy and would try to find out everything about him if she met him. And if she dug too deep, things would get annoying when he'd be forced to erase her memories or do Kallen a favor and order her to commit suicide.

Nunnally was shopping with Sayoko and Milly, so she wouldn't be back in the next few hours. He'd never understand how women could find such joy in clothing.

Shirley was spending every free second with her father, something Lelouch unconditionally approved. It was important to spend time with one's parents, at least if they were like Joseph Fenette or his own mother Marianne.

So right now Lelouch was alone with his thoughts. He decided to get some fresh air and headed to a park in the settlement that was rarely visited due to rumors of violent Elevens. Lelouch wasn't worried, since even if the rumors were true, he could just tell them to leave him alone unless he told them otherwise.

What he didn't know was that he wasn't the only one who searched out the park for it's quiet and loneliness.

On his way, he found something laying on the ground in front of the park's entrance. He picked it up and saw that it was a flier with a caricature on it. It had obviously been made by a supporter of the Black Knights, as it showed Zero on a surfboard, riding a huge wave. Right in front of the wave, already halfway sunk and about to be buried by the wave, were a few soldiers, Knightmares, and a tilted, upside-down flag of Britannia. Behind the sinking Britannians, one could see people wearing Black Knight uniforms and life-vests, sitting in boats and holding a miniature city in another boat in the air, high enough so that the wave wouldn't even touch the boat. The whole thing was titled 'Surf's up!'

Lelouch smiled and muttered "Cowabunga", before throwing it in the trash and entering the park.

-0-

A white-haired man, Mao, sat on the bench in the lonely park, thinking over his latest failure. The military had turned out to be a bad idea, he nearly got shot by them. The guy wanted guy had wanted his secrets kept secret at all costs, something Mao thought he could use. At first, the man had agreed, but Mao had read his mind and learned that he was planning to have him assassinated. Having no interest in an early grave, Mao had discreetly retreated out of the base before running for the hills. While his sanity may have a slight crack (it was in shambles), he had enough common sense to know that it was better not to show his face to the officials anytime soon.

Which left him with only one option to find C.C., a option that he never wanted to use. He had gone to places where the masses gathered, even though they drove him mad, and stretched his senses. While he couldn't sense his beloved C.C., he was hoping to catch thoughts like "What a strange girl, her hair is green." or "What kind of name is C.C.?", but so far he had had no luck. Instead, he nearly lost his mind from the overflow of pointless thoughts.

So he had retreated to this practically abandoned park in order to get some quiet. If he focused on something, fortunately it didn't have to be a person's thoughts, the range of his power shrank tremendously. Right now it was at roughly forty feet, and there wasn't a single soul that close. What a wonderful feeling.

He had spoken too soon. Someone had just entered his range, and no amount of focus on C.C.'s voice coming out of his headphones would allow him to shorten it beyond that point. So he was stuck with that person's thoughts. It could be worse, it was just one person easy to ignore.

Then again, this guy's mind was pretty complex. Compared to the imbeciles that Mao usually had to listen to, this one was almost refreshing. There were at least seven things happening at once, from complex calculations over private thoughts to different scenarios. Mao opened his eyes and looked for the owner of these thoughts. An ordinary-looking student with black hair. He was about to close his eyes when he caught a thought that shook him wide awake.

_'The entire situation is getting more and more complex and tiring. First all that trouble with V.V., then he goes and gives Kallen a power, and now this C.C. complicates the entire situation. This is no longer a easily manipulatable situation.'_

Mao jumped up. It seemed to have been a mistake, since the boy had noticed him, but Mao didn't care. He needed to find out everything, and the closer he was, the easier it'd be. He walked to the boy.

-0-

Lelouch tensed. This guy was definitely planning something. He had entered the park through an entrance that was way outside this guy's field of vision. But the man had suddenly looked up and looked at him. A few moments later, he had jumped up and was now standing in front of him.

Lelouch decided to play friendly first. After Kallen shaking the life out of him, he felt ready to take a hit before using his Geass. Also, the guy didn't look like he could punch too hard either. "Can I help you, sir?"

The man chuckled. There was something about him that Lelouch didn't like. It wasn't the white hair or the sunglasses, or even the headphones that made Lelouch wonder if the man had even heard him. No, it was something about the way he held himself. The man had an air of absolute confidence on him, like there was nothing that Lelouch or anyone could do that would surprise him. The man was absolutely certain that he was in the superior position.

Then the man spoke. "That's probably because I am." Lelouch blinked. How did this answer the question 'Can I help you?' That made no sense.

The man smiled. "No, it doesn't. At least, if that was what I was referring to. Come on little Lelouch, use that brilliant mind of yours."

Lelouch's eyes narrowed. The man knew his name! Not only that, but now that Lelouch gave it a second thought, the man's answers had not been directed at his spoken words, but...

The man grinned. "Silence please, he's having an epiphany."

...but to his thoughts! The man clapped his hands. "Yes, yes, you're right, Lelouch vi Britannia, or do you prefer Zero?"

Lelouch's eyes narrowed. "You're a mind-reader?"

The man lowered his shades, and Lelouch saw the twin cranes in his eyes. He activated his own Geass, but the man quickly replaced the visors. "Ah-ah-ah, I wouldn't want to get hit by your Geass. I like my free will, thank you very much. But you're right, mine could be called mind-reading."

Lelouch's eyes narrowed. Was this guy one of the members of the Directorate that was able to fulfill missions? If so, then they had hit gold with their choice. There were no secrets with this guy. While the park was lonely, there was always a chance people would hear the shot. Then again, they would probably suspect Elevens, not a Britannian student.

The man read those thoughts and gave the pocket with the gun a worried look , before raising his hands. "Now now, I'm not one of V.V.'s projects, unlike you. Until a minute ago, I didn't even know he existed. I'm looking for C.C., and frankly, I can't find her."

Lelouch calmed down. "I see. Your Geass can't locate her because like V.V., she's immune to Geass, as I know from personal experience. And apparently you can't just search everyone's mind for information about her. On a different note, who am I talking to? You read my name, but who are you?"

The man chuckled and clapped again. "Where are my manners? Excuse me your highness, my humble name is Mao."

It was not hard to hear the sarcasm dripping from his voice. Lelouch spared him a short glare. "Spare me the irony, you want my help, not the other way around."

Mao snorted. "Oh really? Your thoughts have been circling around the ways you can use my abilities ever since I said I wasn't with the Directorate. But of course, blackmailing you, while fun, may eventually backfire on me, so I'll help you with things that don't endanger my life. All I want is C.C., I don't care what we do to get her."

Lelouch raised a brow. We? Then again, while Mao might be annoying, he was used to annoying, dealing with V.V. on a daily basis. Also, while Mao might be an annoying ally, he'd be a terrifying enemy, especially for a thinker like him. Slowly and slightly hesitant, he nodded. "Very well, we'll cooperate. But since there's no point in trying to hide it, I'll say it loud. I don't like the idea of someone with the ability to give anyone a Geass going round the world doing god knows what. So if this C.C. doesn't want to go, she stays. You're free to stay with her, but I'm not sending someone I don't want to let out of my sight away against her will. Can you agree to that, oh mighty Mao?" Sarcasm was a game two could play.

Mao shrugged. "I have no problems with that." He was absolutely certain that C.C. would want to come with him, and even if there was something she wanted to do here first, Lelouch had given him his assurance he could help her get it done. And then it would be only him and her.

Lelouch smiled. He had gained another valuable piece. A rook. Fairly straightforward, but powerful when used correctly.

Mao groaned. "Do you have to think everything in chess-terminology?"

"Yes, if it bothers you so much, then get out of my head." Lelouch hissed.

Mao sighed. "Love to, but I can't. I hear every thought in a certain radius, and my max-radius is five-hundred meters, less if I focus on something. And if I completely focus on your mind, then I don't have to hear the other voices."

Lelouch raised a brow. "Why don't you turn it off?"

Mao shrugged, sounding sad. "Great idea, but I overused the power, I guess. I can't turn it off anymore, so I'm stuck with all the voices."

'That explains a lot.' Lelouch thought.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Mao asked.

"Just get out of my thoughts and follow me. I'll bring you to V.V., let him deal with this."

Mao clapped again. "Ah I'm curios to meet him. Will he be some silence in the endless ocean of noise too?"

A shrug. "Probably, he's immune to Geass."

Mao grinned wide and, to Lelouch's annoyance, started clapping again. "Great, let's go!"

-0-

V.V. heard the door open and raised a hand without looking up from the blueprints and his notebook. "Welcome back. Nunnally isn't back yet, nor is anyone else."

Lelouch cleared his throat. "V.V., on my short trip outside I found something rather interesting."

V.V.'s eyes remained fixed on his work. "A stray cat?" he asked mockingly.

"Not quite." Lelouch answered.

V.V. looked up, saw the white-haired man and grimaced. He knew who that was, even if he had never seen him in person before. "Any chance we can trade him in for one?"

"Don't I wish." Lelouch muttered.

-0-

Villetta looked around. She felt a bit weird, being in a hospital even though no one she knew was ill. She was here for the Britannian who had survived the landslide. The media had found out why he lived and blew it up to epic proportions. Titles like "Man blessed by god!", "Miraculous rescue thanks to bathroom equipment!" or "Bathtub saves life!" were flying around in the papers, together with creative insults for Zero. Villetta was here to visit that survivor.

She had heard in jest that the man's daughter had unceremoniously thrown out any and all reporters trying to get an interview from the "Miraculous Survivor". Villetta could understand why the girl did it, when she was ill, she wanted rest, peace and quiet, and she was certain that that was true for most people. She knocked at the door, then opened it.

She had apparently entered a conversation between the man and his carrot-topped daughter.

"...should have gone." The man ended.

The girl shook her head. "Dad, you're heavily injured! Taking care of you is more important than some stupid opera! It's not like if I don't go then someone will snatch Le... You know what I mean."

The father grinned, indicating that he knew exactly what she meant. Villetta cleared her throat. "Excuse me."

The girl mustered her. "Are you a reporter?"

Villetta raised her hands in defense. "No, I'm a Knightmare-pilot. My name is Villetta Nu. I was participating in the fight at Narita and came to give my condolences. The city should have been evacuated, but the terrorists might have been warned had we started too soon. I'm sorry that good Brita... people were caught in all that."

The girl hadn't noticed her slip-up, but Joseph had. He nodded politely. "Thank you, Miss Nu, I appreciate the concern."

Villetta understood that she was stretching her welcome, so she decided to leave. She gave a short bow, and while her head was low, she noticed that a photo was laying on the ground. She picked it up. "Does this belong to you?" She asked, before looking at it... and freezing. That boy on the picture seemed to resonate with something in her mind. The girl grabbed the photo faster than she could blink, a bright blush on her face.

Villetta excused herself, her thoughts still circling around the picture of the boy. Who was he and why did she feel like she knew him?

* * *

Chapter 16 is done. Over 100.000 words, I never thought I'd ever write this much. Not even 20 CG-stories are that long! This chapter is longer than usual, and there is a reason for this.

THIS IS IMPORTANT!

When looking over my story, I noticed that there was a decrease in quality. Nothing major (I hope), but it's still there, as some of my reviewers have noted as well. I have the feeling that I'm starting to loose myself in details, whether important ones or not. Also, as All That Is Left Unsaid noted, everything starts to become just one forced plot. Also, I'm not getting the progress the way I want it. The most concerning observation that I made is that writing for this story has started to feel more like work than a passion.

Therefore, after careful thinking, I have decided to take a break from writing this story before I loose interest in it and ruin it with halfhearted writing. This doesn't mean that the story's canceled or abandoned, I simply feel that I have to relax, take it easy, maybe work on a new story for a different manga that's been running amok in my head, and gather new ideas for how to go on (ideas from my readers would be really, really helpful).

I wrote a longer chapter both as a reward for the long wait and an apology for the longer wait that's ahead. I ask for your understanding, things are also getting a little complicated at home. School's slowly coming to an end, exams are getting nearer, even if they're still a fair bit away, and I have to start applying for a job. Again, that's in the further future, but it's still work that slows my writing. I hope that you can understand and forgive me. I'll probably start working on "A Different Code" again in a month, give or take a few weeks, depending on when inspiration hits me. Again, sending ideas would be helpful and will probably speed my writing up again, but again, this is optional. Your choice.

Another thing. I'm not the type of person that rewrites chapters. If I screwed up, then I screwed up, and if I screwed up badly, I trash the whole thing, either to start from scratch or just forget it. But when I read All That Is Left Unsaid's last review, I felt like giving myself a kick in the ass. Not so much about the name of Shirley's father, I didn't know and forgot to ask, but about how short I made the dialogue in the hospital. There was so much potential in there, and I just ignored it. One more reason I need a break. Anyways, I decided to do something I normally don't do: I rewrote chapter 15. well, rewrote may not be the correct word, I corrected the name of Shirley's father and extended the hospital-dialogue. So to those who feel like it, read it and tell me how I did.

I made Mao ally with Lelouch for multiple reasons.

1. Without Lelouch being C.C.'s contractor, Mao would not see him as an obstacle between him and her, so there would be no reason for him to antagonize Lelouch, like using Shirley.

2. Since C.C. doesn't hang around at Lelouch's place, Mao would try to find her before anything else. But Since C.C. is immune to Geass and Japan is big, he'd logically try to use his power to recruit help. His first try would probably be the military, since they have the most manpower and the higher-ups would be overflowing with dirty secrets. Also, Mao seems to me like the type of person to just try the most direct approach. But the officials would probably try to eliminate someone who knows what they want kept secret and Mao can read minds, he'd do what anyone who knows his life is in jeopardy would do. He'd run like hell. If he can't go to the military, what would be the next-best organization to find someone? Who did the people C.C. asked about Mao in canon say to ask? The Black Knights.

3. It's rarely been done and I just felt like it.

I informed Bartley about Geass since I want Jeremiah to have the Canceler, and my Bartley would only do such a thing if he felt threatened by Geass. And yes, the Geass-children arranged the accident of the leader after V.V.. No, Rolo did not actively participate, he just stood by, let it happen and didn't inform anyone. After seeing the reaction the children in the Directorate had when they found out it was him, shortly before Rolo slaughtered the, I'd say he was at least somewhat popular amongst the children. And yes, Rolo will become the Vincent's pilot. No, Cornelia and the other nobles sans Bartley won't know it, not even Lloyd.

Now onto the questions.

1. Since I couldn't have someone double Lelouch for reasons I already explained in the story, I had to improvise. What do you think? At least somewhat plausible? Good idea? Bad idea?

2. What do you think of me allying Lelouch and Mao? What will it change?

3. I described another caricature, this time one made by the Japanese. How do you like it?

4. I'm not quite sure yet whether to bring Rolo over to Lelouch's side or leave him with the Empire. What's your opinion?

5. Again, are there any machines you'd like to see?

6. Standard. What can I do better, what was good, on a scale from 1 to 10, etc.

7. Any advice, ideas, anything really? It'd be appreciated, and really helpful.

8. Tell me what you want to tell me.

To dragonlor562: Sorry, but Bismark was not an option for the Directorate-leader. He is the Knight of One, and one of the few people who know of the Emperor's plans. He's practically Charles' bodyguard, there's no chance in hell he'd leave his post for anything.

To psyche_07: Patience, my friend. While I have think I have Markus' character down now, it'll still be a while before he enters the stage. Actually, according to my plans, he'll have his first non-flashback appearance somewhere in the last third to quarter of my story.

To Peloponnese/G. Wagers: Sorry about that. It's like this: We all know from canon and a billion fanfics how smart Lelouch is, so in my opinion there was no real need to prove that again. However, both the canon and my V.V. are unknowns, so I wanted to show that he was not to be underestimated as well. Perhaps I subconsciously took it a bit too far, thanks for the warning. I'll try not to overdo it again.

To Darkjackel: I have the "I'm your uncle" and "Lelouch is a prince" moments mostly planned out, they're pretty close together actually. But you're right, it will be amusing.

To All That Is left Unsaid: Once again, thank you for the detailed review. I appreciate the criticism and will try to improve my story, hence the (hopefully) short break. Please reread chapter 15 and tell me how you liked it. I can't believe I missed the opportunity the first time, thank you again. As for your machines, I'll see what I can do. And about the Directorate: What is the author's name? You and he are right, it sounds plausible, but in my fic, they'll be loyal to Charles. It'd just ruin some ideas I have if they were completely loyal to V.V.. And also, it's not easy to respect someone as a superior who looks like he's barely out of diapers.

To Trayus: As I wrote before, I still haven't decided on any pairings, but I'm still open for any suggestions.

I worked hard, I wrote much, and I await many replies. So now it's, once again, your turn.

Please Review


	17. How to help the JLF?

Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I don't own CG

* * *

Lelouch yawned. The last night had been difficult, to say the least. They had tried to find a place for Mao to stay, which was easier said then done. Mao needed to be close enough to easily be contacted, they couldn't just put him in the mountains, as he wasn't much good if he needed two hours to get anywhere. Also, Mao refused to stay anywhere with a large number of people present. That alone complicated everything to a ridiculous degree. The school, hotels, everything was out. It had gone so far that V.V. had suggested tying Mao to a rocket and shooting him into space, where Mao could have all the solitude he wanted. Lelouch had smirked, but as amusing and therapeutic as it would be, it was not an option. The Ghettos were a possibility, but it would still take a while for Mao to reach Lelouch. Then Lelouch and V.V. remembered that they didn't exactly hold their BK-meetings in the Student Council, and decided that the ghettos were the best option for now. But that left two things Lelouch wasn't looking forward to, since V.V. made it clear that he wouldn't lift a finger to assist with either problem, besides vouching.

The first problem was how to tell Kallen they now had a mind-reader with questionable mentality as an ally. She probably wouldn't be happy about the loose cannon.

The second problem would be introducing Mao to the Black Knights. V.V. said that the only thing he'd do would be agree to whatever cover Lelouch came up with. That still left the question of how to induct him into the organization. He was a stranger, and unlike Lelouch himself and V.V., this guy would come out of nothing right in the middle of their scheming. Lelouch could say that he was a specialist that he had called in for further assistance, but but a specialist for what? Freaking people out? On the other hand, with his Geass, Lelouch could pass him off as an expert in getting answers, specializing in mind-games.

In a way, this was actually true, at least somewhat. Mao would be perfect for interrogation, as he could get the answers without the other person even knowing it, but from his own experience, Mao seemed to have a weakness for mind-games. Of course, if you can read others like a book, it wasn't that hard to mentally break them.

Lelouch sighed. Better bring the news to Kallen first, he'd deal with the Black Knights later, if Kallen didn't kill him first.

* * *

Kallen's mood was stressed, to say the least. Her step-mother had used his father's absence to mock Kallen's mother, something Kallen now noticed she never dared when her father was there, made fun of Milly and the other students, going as far as openly criticize the Ashfords for allowing 'a filthy Eleven' to join them. That conversation had actually raised Kallen's mood a bit, recalling the results. And while she hated the Royal Family, in her opinion, prince Clovis couldn't have decided to visit her father at a better time.

* * *

_Flashback:_

"I still don't see what you could gain at being at Ashford. Because of your health, you can't participate in physical activities, and I heard you miss half the lessons because you have stay in bed or the infirmary. All in all, that school fits you. Because of your health, you cannot even participate in balls or even join one of the parties that regularly occur. I remember the last time I tried to get you into society, you collapsed and your father had to carry you out."

Kallen smirked inwardly, that had been one of her better acts. In hindsight, she was starting to doubt that her father had fallen for it, but her stepmother didn't doubt it, and that was all that mattered. "It's not my fault." Kallen muttered, to keep up with her sickly persona. Honestly, it was getting bothersome.

Her stepmother snorted. "And the doctors still don't know what's wrong, incompetent quacks. This bothersome issue is throwing off all arrangements. I still can't believe I had to admit your weakness before Duke Millston, he was actually interested in your hand."

"That man is three times my age! And it was father who told him that, not you." Kallen hissed.

Her stepmother waved it off. "You are proving absolutely useless to the Stadtfeld-house. You don't socialize with your peers, you don't even attempt to make useful friendships, and because of your weak condition, you can't even be married off."

Yes, Britannians despised weakness. Therefore, if a woman's weakness was publicly declared, most nobles were far too worried about their reputation to try and make her their wife, no matter how much they wanted a submissive toy. That had been the main reason Kallen had chosen to act like a invalid, it kept her stepmother's friends off her back. And nobody would dare lay hand on her while she was in her home, as a old right of the nobles stated that a noble had the right to shoot anyone who wasn't the emperor if he laid hand on his family, especially in his own home. And even with the Emperor, the noble had the right to ask him to leave immediately, not that anyone but Kallen's father would actually make use of that right, quite the opposite. After all, the emperor's youngest wife was twenty-one.

"And what exactly do you bring the Stadtfeld-house, besides a bad reputation?" Kallen asked.

Her stepmother's face twisted in rage, and she slapped Kallen. "How dare you speak to me like that?! It seems that that school of yours has given you a mouth, not that I should expect any more from the Ashfords."

Kallen's eyes narrowed. While she hated Britannians, Milly had made an impression on her. While the woman obviously had a few screws loose, she was refreshing to be with. Plus the stories she told her about what she did with all the noble suckers who tried to marry her were hilarious. And most importantly, she had looked at Kallen's mother without disdain, and knew the truth about their relationship, and didn't blab it to anyone. "What's wrong with the Ashfords?" She asked.

Her stepmother snorted. "That family has been going downhill ever since that common mistress Marianne died. A commoner as a queen of our noble empire, what a blasphemy! But anyways, the Ashfords. They have been going downhill, their heir is still not married, even though she's already eighteen. Eighteen and not even engaged, can you imagine? Ever since they stopped producing Knightmares, the Ashford-family has lost all respect, not that they'd deserve any. And that school is going to the dogs as well, imagine, to accept an _Eleven_ as a student. A stray dog would have been a better choice to enroll than one of those savages."

Kallen had often felt the deep desire to punch her stepmother in the face, but it had never been as strong as today. She forced herself to remain calm. "He had the backing of two members of the Royal Family."

Her stepmother snorted. "Oh please, everyone knows that the puppet-princess Euphimia is a figurehead. As for Prince Clovis, while a great man, I fear he hasn't completely recovered from his injuries yet, leading to some... less intelligent decisions."

"I have recovered quite well, thank you very much." A cold voice rang through the hall. Kallen and her stepmother spun around, only to gape. Standing in front of them was none other than Clovis la Britannia! "Also," the prince added "perhaps you shouldn't have such conversations right in the middle of the entrance hall."

Kallen's stepmother gasped. "Your highness! How long have you been there?"

Clovis looked at her, his eyes uncharacteristically cold. "Long enough to hear some very interesting things, madam Stadtfeld."

Kallen noticed with joy that Clovis had purposefully not called her by any title, beside the basic respectful madam, which applied to the common woman as well. But Clovis wasn't done.

"Enlighten me, what complains do you have with Warrant Officer Kururugi, who I myself recommended for Ashford Academy?"

Kallen's stepmother stuttered. "I-I-I..."

Clovis ignored her. "Further, I believe I heard you question my sanity, which I honestly do not find that amusing. Perhaps I should inform my sister Cornelia of your opinions of her sister and a woman Cornelia has long looked up to, _Empress_ Marianne."

Kallen's stepmother paled. It was no secret that Cornelia had some very violent tendencies when her loved ones were involved. She practically skinned anyone who dared say anything bad about Euphimia, and the story where the first princess Guinevere had spoken down on the deceased Marianne, only for Cornelia to snap, grab a cigar out of the mouth of another noble and snuff it out in Guinevere's cleavage, followed by the threat of a unfortunate _accident_ should Cornelia hear any more insults was legendary. The Knight of Nine, Nonette Enneagram, had openly admitted that that had been the first time she had been scared of Cornelia, not that it had kept her from teasing Cornelia with it ever since. And now that wrath may be brought upon Kallen's stepmother. "M-M-My lord, your highness, you surely jest. It was not more than a joke, I beg of you..."

While Kallen truly enjoyed watching her stepmother squirm, there was a more pressing question. "Your highness, what brings us the honor of your visit?" She shyly asked, keeping up with her sickly persona, despite it slowly driving her nuts.

Clovis looked at her. "Ah, I nearly forgot. I was hoping to talk to your father, it involves a resort of mine, I was hoping he might be able to supply some things for basic creature comforts."

Kallen nodded. "I see. But your highness, why did you not simply call, or have a meeting arranged?"

"Kallen, how dare you question his excellency?" Her stepmother hissed.

But Clovis waved it off. "No worries, it was a valid question. In truth, I simply like to talk to the people who work on my projects in person, while they're relaxed, not in the tense atmosphere of a royal chamber."

Kallen nodded. "Makes sense. I apologize your excellency, but my father is currently not at home."

Clovis shrugged. "I should have figured. Do inform him that I wish to talk to him, would you?"

Kallen gave a short bow. "Of course, your highness."

Clovis smiled, then he walked up to her, softly grabbed he hand and kissed it. "It was a pleasure to meet you. Perhaps we'll meet again."

Kallen was too shocked to do anything but nod. Clovis smiled as he walked backwards. But during that pompous act, he nearly tripped over a wooden decoration and the flower-vase on the small table began to tip. Clovis let out a small "Dammit!" And made a grab for it. He caught it and sighed in relief, when the doors flew open.

Entering was a bear of a man with a scar on his face, flanked by two smaller yet still impressive men in black suits, with his gun drawn. Kallen froze while her stepmother screeched and tried to run. The man's eyes shot around, remaining on Kallen for a second before finally locating Clovis, who had started to frown. "Are you unharmed prince Clovis?" the bear asked.

Clovis looked at him. "Why wouldn't I be Darlton? This is the Stadtfeld-residence, not a prison-camp for assassins."

Darlton shook his head. "I heard you curse, followed by what sounded like wood scraping over the floor, so considering recent events, I assumed the worst."

Clovis rolled his eyes. "You're paranoid Darlton, did anyone ever tell you that?"

Darlton nodded. "Your sister. It was her condition for hiring me."

Clovis sighed and turned to Kallen. "This is Andreas Darlton. He's a Royal Knight serving my sister Cornelia. Since my own Guard perished in Shinjuku, she insisted I have at least some protection and ordered Darlton here to keep an eye on me. The other two are just your basic bodyguards, essentially backup in case we get in a firefight. Honestly, I don't even know why I bother with them, I can't imagine anything short an elephant taking Darlton down."

Kallen nodded dumbly. The man did indeed look like wrestling gorillas was one of his morning-exercises. And Kallen really didn't like the look he was giving her. It was not a lustful look, she knew those from school, but a calculating one, trying to evaluate how much of a threat she was. Then he slowly turned away, following the leaving Clovis.

Kallen looked after the visitors, while her stepmother retreated to her room, from where she would continue terrorizing the Japanese servants, much to Kallen's annoyance.

* * *

Once Clovis had entered his transport, Darlton spoke up. "There's something off about that Stadtfeld-girl."

Clovis tilted his head. "I found her quite charming. Though I wish I could say the same about her stepmother."

Darlton shook his head. "That's not what I mean. When I barged into the room, she immediately shifted her weight to adjust for an incoming attack. That's not how a noble girl normally reacts, especially one with a frail constitution."

Clovis shrugged. "So she's more able and in better health then she lets on? And? That is a common strategy with those that don't want to be married off to older strangers. But still, I agree. Her body was a lot more toned than one would suspect from someone with a weak constitution, and when I kissed her hand, I noticed some small callus on her palm. Nothing big, but either she started doing something strenuous recently, or she uses lotion or other beauty-products to lessen the callusing. In any case, that is not our business, and we shouldn't pry into it. But I really wouldn't mind if her behavior wasn't an act, I find meek women quite charming."

Darlton sighed. "Need I remind you what happened the last time you tried to flirt with a_ meek girl_?"

Clovis grimaced, while his hand moved closer to his crotch. "I remember Monica's reaction quite well, thank you very much."

Darlton had to grin. "Miss Kruszewski did apologize in advance."

Clovis sighed. "Yes, and I recall Cornelia, Dorothea and Nonette finding the entire affair highly amusing."

Darlton shrugged. "Looking back, it was."

"Not for me." Clovis grumbled.

_End of Flashback_

* * *

Kallen sighed. Maybe she should have slit Clovis' throat when she had the chance. Then again, Lelouch had had the same chance and not taken it, so he obviously thought that Clovis wasn't that bad. Also, if she had done it, that Darlton would have torn her apart, piece by piece. And the Black Knights needed the Guren, and Lelouch and V.V. had made clear they needed _her_ in the Guren, which would hardly work if she was in prison, or six feet under.

Speaking of Lelouch, there he came. He looked strangely unpleasant, and waved her to follow him. Classes were over, and she saw no reason not to, seeing that it might be important. If she only knew.

* * *

Lelouch sighed. Honestly, this would be what he was afraid of. Kallen's natural reaction to any revelations coming from him or V.V. was to shake them, usually with a solid object behind them that would receive direct and repeating contact with the back of their heads. He gulped and prepared himself for the inevitable.

Kallen looked at him. "Did something happen?"

Lelouch twitched nervously. "You could say that."

Kallen immediately tensed. It was not like Lelouch to beat around the bush. "What happened?"

Lelouch gulped. "Do you remember me mentioning the immortal C.C.?"

Kallen frowned. He had mentioned her once or twice. "The green haired girl with amber that looks to be our age, yet according to V.V. could have been around when Alexander marched to India?"

Lelouch nodded. "Yes, that's her. You know she can give Geass as well, and there was a high chance that she did, right?"

Kallen frowned. "Yes, but why are you... You found one of C.C.'s Geass-users, haven't you?"

Lelouch nodded. "Yes, I did. His name is Mao, and he somehow shangaid himself into the Black Knights."

Kallen raised a brow. "He forced you to accept him? How did he force you? Does he know you're Zero?" Lelouch nodded. "How?" was all Kallen replied.

Lelouch grimaced. "Mao's Geass allows him to literally read other minds, and completely analyzing them, down to your subconsciousness. It doesn't require eye-contact, and the maximal radius is five-hundred meters."

Kallen whistled. "That's impressive."

Lelouch nodded. "Here comes the bad news, he hears all the thoughts in his range, and he can't turn it off."

Kallen stared. "You're kidding."

Lelouch shook his head. "Sadly no. the man is a loose cannon, but I honestly prefer to have him as my ally than my enemy. I'm a strategist, and he can read me like a book."

Kallen looked at him. "What's in it for Mao? Why would he help us?"

Lelouch smiled. This was going better than he thought. "He's looking for C.C., and after a fiasco with the military, he decided that the Black Knights had the best chances of finding her. He also agreed that if the woman doesn't want to leave, she stays. Unfortunately, I had to agree to let him stay as well should that happen."

Kallen raised a brow. "Why is a mind-reader staying on our side a bad thing?"

Lelouch grimaced. "You haven't met him."

"That bad?" Kallen asked.

"You'll see for yourself." Lelouch muttered. As soon as he finished, V.V. appeared, reading something that seemed to be a print of something. He looked at Kallen.

"He told you the bad news?" he asked. Kallen nodded. "Oh good, so that's out of the way. Anyways, I have more news, not sure if it's good or bad yet. It seems that the JLF's leader Tatewaki Katase intends to leave Area 11 by boat."

"Why are you calling it Area 11 instead of Japan?" Kallen hissed.

V.V. looked up from the papers he was holding. "Because it is Area 11. As much as you seem to deny it, right now we are standing on the soil of the Britannian colony called Area 11, formerly known as Japan. You don't like it? Live with it. We're on Britannian soil right now, and until we win it back from Britannia, that won't change. You want me to call this Japan? Then make it Japan!"

Kallen's face twisted in anger. "I'll make you eat those words, V.V.!"

Said immortal smirked. "I'll be waiting."

Lelouch raised a brow. "I didn't take you for a motivational speaker."

"I have many talents." V.V. replied "But what will we do about that ship?"

"What information do you have? I hardly doubt you came just to inform me that Katase was going into voluntary exile."

V.V. nodded. "Correct. Cornelia will almost definitely attack the tanker, hoping to wipe out the JLF. The Lancelot will be present, and I heard rumors that something else might be as well. Kyoto has sent us a letter that they request us to aid them, as the JLF will be completely overrun."

Lelouch rubbed his chin. "How is the JLF-tanker armed?"

V.V. shrugged. "Not much. All the soldiers have are their rifles, and a shitload of Sakuradite in barrels. Not a single Knightmare could be recovered after Narita. They left with nothing but what they carried, and Cornelia knows that. Her spies have already confirmed the JLF's lack of armament."

Lelouch looked at him. "Will Kyoshiro Tohdoh be on board?"

"No, nor will the Holy Swords leave Japan, to answer your next question." V.V. replied.

Lelouch looked at his contractor. "Give me an assessment of what Britannia will bring, and what they will use. The Sakuradite should keep them on edge. Do you think they will strike before the ship is prepared to take off?"

V.V. shook his head. "While Cornelia want's nothing more than to wipe them out as fast as possible, her advisers will make her wait until the ship is preparing to take off, in order to gain the maximal amount of Sakuradite possible. Despite being a nice deal, if they nail the JLF too early, the Sakuradite might be distributed elsewhere, probably to us, and then used against them. Since Britannia assumes that our supply is limited, and the amount that can be smuggled out of the mines is indeed limited, gaining Sakuradite meant for terrorist activities would be a major success, and a setback for multiple other resistance-cells. As for the Britannian armament, the Britannians will not dare use anything but micro-ammunition and probably their aquatic Portman-Frames. Those can be equipped with torpedoes, but in fear of igniting the Sakuradite, those probably won't be equipped, leaving the Portmans with nothing but their Slash Harkens. As for the units that will stay on the pier, we will probably have Sutherlands and Cornelia's Gloucesters with their rifles and Stun Tonfas, but we don't have to worry about the rifles, they won't have anything but micro-pounds, which won't pierce a Knightmare's armor, the Lancelot with an omni-ammunition rifle and its MVSs, so stay on your toes. The Frames of Cornelia and most of her Royal Guard will probably remain deactivated and on standby, in case the Black Knights or anyone else tries to crash the party. Those will be equipped with macro-ammunition rifles and their lances, so you should try to take those out before they have a chance to power-up. Then there is a rumor about a secret weapon, maybe one of Asplunds new toys, a test-type for the Lancelot-mass-production-model perhaps."

Lelouch seemed in deep thought, before he spoke. "We have multiple options. We can use the JLF as a trap, luring the Portmans in close and blowing the ship up, while using the commotion to make a surprise-attack on Cornelia. While ethically not quite sound, it would be effective, and nobody would expect it, or suspect us, as suicide is a noble Japanese way of dying. We could also ignore the ship, and simply attack Cornelia from behind when she isn't expecting it. We might be seen as abandoning the JLF, but the commotion should give them time to escape. At first sight, these plans seem efficient, but there are two unknown variables, the Lancelot and this new model. Also, saving the JLF out of a pinch would be good PR amongst the Japanese and our sponsor Kyoto. V.V., considering our ratio of Frames to pilots, including a sufficient amount of spare parts and replacements, how many could we part with?"

V.V. scratched his head. "If we equip them assault-rifles plus sufficient ammunition, four, five if we stretch our resources a bit."

Lelouch nodded. "How many rocket-launchers plus rocket could we spare?"

"Considering that we don't have a operation that requires them anytime soon, as Narita was an exception where we had more people than Frames we had to work with, not advisable in future operations since once they loose the element of surprise they're toast, I would say we could spare eight launchers, each with ammunition for four shots." V.V. concluded his calculations.

Kallen looked between the two boys, agitated. "You can't seriously be considering sacrificing those Japanese soldiers for a _chance_ at a shot as Cornelia?!" She nearly screamed.

"We already did consider it, quite seriously I might add, but there are too many unpleasant ifs to just throw potential support away." Lelouch explained. "Instead, we're considering sending them some gifts and hoping they get involved in the fighting."

Kallen blinked. "I see. The JLF hates the Britannians, so they will fight if they think they have a chance."

Lelouch nodded. "That's what I'm hoping for too, to be honest. V.V., how are our explosives, mines or anything that reacts on strong impact would be preferred."

V.V. blinked, then a evil smile crept up his face. "I like the way you think. It should be enough to cause some fireworks, especially if we connect them with a few barrels of Sakuradite, the JLF will probably forgive us if we take a few, considering what they're getting in return. By the way, here's a printout of Ohgi's e-mail, I thoroughly deleted all traces of it already. Read and burn."

Lelouch read it, gave it to Kallen, and after she handed it back, accepted a lighter from V.V. and lit it. When the last scratch had burned to ash, he smiled. "Then lets get started."

Kallen cleared her throat. "One more thing."

Lelouch looked at her. "Yes?"

She slapped him in the face, and Lelouch was knocked against the wall. "What the hell was that for?!" He asked.

Kallen looked at him. "For considering sacrificing Japanese. For bringing someone to the Black Knights who couldn't keep his nose out of your secret if he wanted to. For bringing someone who according to you is going to ruin my nerves. And for being a headache."

V.V. snickered. "Even I felt that one."

Kallen looked at him. "No, you didn't." She punched him in the face as hard as she could. V.V. felt his nose and left cheekbone break. "But you felt that one."

"And vhy te 'ell did ou do tat?!" He stammered out, his broken nose muffling his speech.

"For being a pest. For insulting Japan. And for pissing me off." Kallen answered.

V.V. straitened his nose with a disgusting CRUNCH. "And why did I get the bone-breaker?"

Kallen shrugged. "Because you heal faster."

Lelouch grinned as he rubbed his cheek. "Makes sense."

V.V. growled. "Shut up and write your wife a letter, pedophile!"

Something in Lelouch's face twitched. "Sorry pipsqueak, reception up here is not that great. Could you repeat that, Viktor_ia_?"

"I'm not a girl." V.V. hissed.

"Tell that to that gown you call hair." Lelouch shot back.

Kallen bonked them both on the head. "Enough. I swear, for geniuses, you two can act so childish."

"I am a child, at least physically." V.V. pointed out.

"And it can be quite relaxing not to permanently pretend to be something you're not around someone else. You should feel that way too, since you seem only too happy to drop your sickly act." Lelouch added.

Kallen scratched her head. "True, but you two can't act like squabbling schoolboys forever!"

V.V. grinned. "Technically, _I_ can."

Kallen rolled her eyes. "Shut up. Didn't you two have something to do?"

The two nodded. "I'll get the weaponry ready for transport." V.V. said as he left, giving a last wave while wiping the last blood in a paper-handkerchief.

Lelouch stretched. "And I guess I'll have a few words with the harbor-workers and present officials."

Kallen was doubtful. "Do you really think it'll go that easily?"

Lelouch smiled, and his left eye glowed crimson. "Oh, I'm not worried. I can be very... convincing when I want to."

Kallen flared her own Geass, directing it at her vision. "I know. But Geass really isn't everything."

Lelouch deactivated it with a shrug. "No, but it helps. After V.V. and I arrange things, Zero will probably send someone to deliver our gift. And I still have to introduce Mao."

Kallen nodded. "I'll tell the others you're coming with company, if V.V. doesn't beat me to it."

* * *

Evening had come quickly, and now the core-members of the Black Knights, including Kallen, were waiting for Zero. Finally, he entered.

Ohgi stood up. "Not to question you Zero, but why did we pack Burai and other weaponry in containers?"

Zero nodded. "As you know, we received a message from Kyoto requesting we support the JLF in their temporary retreat. We have found out that Cornelia knows of their retreat and will intercept, in hopes of acquiring the Sakuradite they carry. I have weighed different options and came to the conclusion that our highest chances of victory lie in a pincer-assault. Britannia expects them to have nothing but Sakuradite and a few guns, so the rocket-launchers and Knightmares will allow them to make a surprise counter. At that moment, we attack. While a seaside-assault from our side could work, it will be more practical as a explosive decoy while we hide our Frames in some of the containers. Is your question sufficiently answered?"

Ohgi nodded. "Does that mean that our next operation is in two days?"

Zero nodded. "Yes, but we only need Knightmare-pilots for this operation, plus a few lookouts. Attacking the Britannians, especially Cornelia and her Royal Guard on a relatively open field like the harbor in anything but a Knightmare would be suicide. As for the lookouts, try to mix a few new members with more experienced ones, so that they can see what a battle is like while having someone who can lead them out if things get tough."

Ohgi nodded. "I'll see to it then."

Zero nodded. "Sugiyama, would you deliver our gift to the JLF? I have already prepared the documents you will hand to them. The container is prepared, all you have to do is hand it over with the documents V.V. will supply you with. Deliver it, and get out of there before they realize you're more than a simple worker."

Sugiyama nodded. It was a important, no vital job, and he felt honored that Zero would choose him to do it.

Of course, Tamaki decided to make a ruckus. "I could have done that." He grumbled.

Zero looked at him. "This job requires subtlety, a keen sense of tact and a talent for going under the radar, which are not really your strong points. If the JLF finds out that they have a member of the Black Knights, they'd probably keep you in for questioning. Worst case, they might hold you prisoner to ensure that we help, and I'm honestly not sure you could act submissive and leave without boasting. You are the type of person that takes attention, you're more of a front-line-soldier than a spy."He added, when he saw Tamiki's face twist in anger.

Tamaki was pacified. "You're right Zero, I'm made to fight, not to sneak around."

Lelouch knew that while honesty was a virtue, so was being polite, and that in this case, the truth would do much harm and no good. So he left it at that. He sighed deeply. "Now onto a more unpleasant topic."

Ohgi looked up. "What do you mean Zero?"

Lelouch looked at him. "A specialist of mine has arrived to assist in our operations."

Ohgi blinked. "You have specialists? And why only now?"

Another deep sigh. "I have a few talented people that I'm trying to gain for our purpose, and this man was one of them. He came only now because he is searching for someone, a roughly seventeen-year-old girl with amber eyes and green hair, and hopes that we have a better chance of finding her. In return, he'll offer us his services."

"And what's so special about this guy? He can't be better in a Knightmare than Kallen of me, and we don't have a Frame to spare for him anyways." Tamaki spoke.

Lelouch overheard the part regarding Tamaki's abilities, and nodded. "You're right, to my knowledge, he's never been in a Knightmare before. His talents lie outside of a Knightmare."

Kallen nodded, feigning ignorance. "And what are his talents?"

Zero looked at her. "He is a very good spy, but his specialty lies in interrogation."

Tamaki looked disgusted. "Ya mean he tortures people for information? Like pulling out fingernails and stuff?"

Zero's voice sounded slightly disgusted. "No. Mao specializes in mind-games, he doesn't use physical torture. He is an expert at getting into other people's heads. He can tell what kind of person you are just by looking at you. He can practically read your mind."

Ohgi raised a brow. "And why is that bad news? He sounds like he'll be a great help."

Zero's hand reached for where the bridge of his nose would be. "Unfortunately, like all geniuses, he has a few quirks. To put it bluntly, he is very, very _eccentric_. It seems to be a curse that all of too much intellect share."

V.V.'s face twitched. "HA-CHOO!!! Pardon."

* * *

"HA-CHOO!!!" In his lab, both Lloyd and Cecile sneezed violently.

"Bless you." They both stated, Lloyd fearing he'd hear another speech about manners if he didn't, without looking up from their work. They had literally worked Suzaku into the ground, and now they were evaluating their data before giving the Vincent the final touches. It would be close, but they would manage. The only real problem was that the chosen pilot was a terribly arrogant noble with mediocre skills. They weren't sure if they could dumb everything down enough to bring good results with that imbecile.

* * *

"HA-CHOO!!!" Rakshata sneezed. The man beside her pulled out a handkerchief.

"Did you have to turn my way to sneeze?" he asked as he wiped his face.

Rakshata looked at him. "Yes. Any other way, and I would have hit my dear child."

Then man rolled his eyes. "The Shen Hu could have easily been cleaned before we sent him to the Chinese Federation. Anyways, what will you do after it's gone?"

Rakshata shrugged. "I'll probably pay Area 11 a visit. Zero seems to be a fascinating person, and I heard that he found someone who can use and care for my dear Guren how it deserves."

The man secretly rolled his eyes, he'd never understand that woman.

* * *

Zero shrugged. "Perhaps you should meet him yourself. COME IN MAO, I KNOW YOU'RE LISTENING!"

The door opened and a white-haired man wearing headphones entered. He yawned and stretched, before he looked at the group, holding his head. "Did it have to be this many people? I'm getting a headache. And they seem so plain, not a thinker in the bunch. Well, with the exception of the girl and that guy there." He pointed at Ohgi.

Tamaki jumped up. "Who do think you are to judge us like that?!"

Mao looked at him through his glasses, his glowing gaze cold. "Let me see what I can tell you about yourself. You tend to do rash decisions, not thinking about the consequences. You give yourself a macho-attitude, leading to you overestimating yourself. You are proud to be a member of the Black Knights, as you can exaggerate your part in their success. You are easily provoked, that shows that you're not as certain in yourself as you claim to be. In fact, I'm sure that you are plagued with doubt about your..."

"MAO!" Zero slammed his fist on the table, as Tamaki had paled with every word. When Lelouch was sure the attention was on him, he calmly stated "We are all allies here. I know you wanted to show your talent, but there is no need to mentally crack anyone present."

Mao laughed. "Sorry Zero-_chan_, I'll try to hold back. But it was just too easy to read him." He clapped his hands.

"Either way, you will not toy with my soldiers everyone is needed, and every person that you break is a person that won't be able to keep their eyes peeled for what you're looking for. So I trust you to keep it together, lest you shoot yourself in the foot. And I thought I made it clear that you should not address me in such a familiar and intimate way. I still don't trust you enough that I wouldn't consider shooting you, to keep you from going rogue."

Mao raised his hands in defense. "Sorry, sorry, my tongue slipped. You know that I have no interest in betraying you, nor would it do me any good to do so. And I am too much of an advantage for you to get rid of me easily."

Lelouch didn't bat an eye. "And you are too much of an advantage to let fall into enemy hands, so should it come to that, I won't hesitate to take you out Mao."

Mao could read that Lelouch was serious, but he also knew that the boy wouldn't give him up if he was no threat to him or his schemes. "Scary. Don't worry, I won't betray you, as long as you keep to our deal."

Zero nodded. "If you hold your end of the bargain, I'll hold mine."

Mao smiled and clapped again. "Then there's no problem! If you'll excuse me now, I'm leaving before my headache gets worse." With that, he left.

Zero sighed. "That man is a pain to deal with." He looked at the resistance-members, and nearly snorted at their expressions. He explained. "Mao has a problem with people, he dislikes being in crowded places, and has an authority-problem. He has no respect for other people or their secrets, he does not even see humans as equal to him. With the exception of the girl he's looking for, he also has no respect for anyone, myself included. All together a unpleasant person, but when it comes to his field of expertise, he has no equal, and with all his numerous faults, I still prefer to have him on my side to having him stand against me. Fortunately, thanks to his dislike of crowds, he won't be attending many meetings and you won't have to deal with him too often, since he prefers to work alone."

The others breathed sighs of relief. The man had stressed their nerves, much worse than they were willing to admit. Still, what he had done was frightening, and seeing him once in a while would definitely beat being sent to him if captured.

Sugiyama turned to V.V. "Where are those papers I'm supposed to bring to the JLF?"

* * *

The next day, at the harbor, a few soldiers, for a change outside of their typical yet easily identifiable uniforms, supervised the transport of containers holding precious Sakuradite meant as bargaining-chips for the Chinese Federation onto their ship. One of them noticed a man with a Mobile Carrier, a small platform on Landspanners, which was transporting two other containers.

"Halt! What do you want here?" The soldier shouted.

The man was wearing a baseball-cap pulled deep into his face, greenish-blue hair sticking out of it, and chewing gum. He was wearing the uniform of a normal worker. He looked at a clipboard he was holding. "Delivery. I'm supposed to drop this thing off here." He spoke accent-free Japanese. "If you don't mind, I'll just drop this off here. This" He pointed at his clipboard "is the necessary paperwork. I hope you don't mind if I just leave you with this stuff, but I'm already late and the boss is a slave-driver."

The soldier nodded. "Don't worry about it, we'll take care of it."

The man nodded in thanks and jogged off. As soon as he was a safe distance away, he spat the gum in a trashcan, and pulled off his cap, revealing a grinning Sugiyama. He pulled out a phone. "Mission accomplished. I'm returning to base."

Meanwhile, the soldier went through the paperwork. The first few pages described the content of the container as electrical equipment and other goods that were to be sent to the CF. The last pages would be the interesting ones. He skipped to them... and froze. What was this? Instead of 40 barrels of Sakuradite per container, it only listed 30! Instead, the listing showed that inside the container were missile-launchers and ammunition for seven shots each, five charged Burai with assault-rifles and macro-ammunition. The page after that stated that Cornelia knew of their attempted escape and was planning to ambush them when they tried to leave and what she'd most likely use. Behind that was the copy of a letter from Kyoto, asking for assistance in helping the JLF escape. The page after that was a typed note.

_We hope that you don't mind that we borrowed twenty barrels of Sakuradite. While they will not be returned, they will cause some fireworks amongst the Britannians. In return for your gracious gift, we give you not only a chance to defend yourselves from the Britannian attack, but to actually cause them a humiliating defeat, while under the leadership of one of their best, Cornelia. We will assist you by attacking Britannia from behind once you start your counter-offensive, to create further chaos. The biggest threat will lie in the Lancelot and perhaps a brother-unit that might be utilized. The rocket-launchers are for any Portman climbing your boat, the Burai for once you shot those down. I hope you accept our gift: A shot at Victory._

There was no signature. Frowning, the soldier flipped the note, in order to see the last page. He froze and ran to his superiors. The last page was a simple sheet of paper, showing the emblem of the Black Knights.

* * *

Chapter 17 is done. I'm back! First of all, thank you for the wave of understanding that you gave me when I decided to take a break. I hope it did me good, and that my next chapters will be both good and soon.

I started working on this story again, and felt that I made it just in time too. I realized that while breaks are good, if you spend too much time detached from your story, you forget what you wanted to do with it. I had to reread my own story, just to remember everything. But since it worked, I'm not complaining.

A special thanks to All That Is Left Unsaid, for sending me PMs with ideas that motivated me to start working on it again, and all the reviewers who showed me that I couldn't forget this story. And to pacify all that worry: Unless something drastic happens, I won't abandon any of my stories, especially not this one. It might take a while to update, but I won't abandon or cancel my fics.

I gave Clovis some screen-time for multiple reasons. I thought it might be good, since I didn't use him in a while, it sounded plausible considering who I turned Kallen's father into and Clovis' own enjoyment for architecture, and finally because I felt that that arrogant b*tch Kallen has to call her stepmother deserved a beating, even if only verbally. Is it strange that I hate figures I created myself, even if they were based on someone else's ideas? Also I showed that Clovis isn't a complete imbecile stuck in his own little world. He does have a sharp mind and a keen eye for details, which are a must for a good artist.

I always wondered if both Cornelia and Lelouch knew the JLF would make a break for it, then why wait until they're offshore? My explanation was the only one that I thought made sense. Do you agree, or does anyone have a better explanation? I won't change mine, but I'm curious.

And I know that handing the documents to someone and running for the hills isn't exactly according to protocol, but this is Britannia, it has crappy laws and more importantly, this is a fanfic, so my word goes. Seriously though, I just didn't have a better idea that gained a 'somewhat plausible'.

I got the advice to change some things about the way Lelouch handled the attack on the JLF, and I did. They're not going to attack by boat, which in my opinion was the only real reason Lelouch blew up the tanker, as he needed a distraction to get close, lest the Britannians turn them all to Swiss cheese. There will be more alterations, the Vincent alone will make sure of that. And after that's done, maybe some peace before the war.

Right now I don't have anything else to add, so onto the questions and the review-responses.

1. Kallen's mother obviously stepped into a shitstorm, and I feel good about it. But what will result out of this visit of Clovis?

2. V.V. has his own way of motivational speech, mainly offenses paired with the challenge to prove him wrong. I know from personal experience that this is surprisingly effective. How did you like V.V.'s speech? What effect could such speeches have on Kallen and maybe the rest of the BK?

3. With all the changes, how do you think the fight on the pier will end?

4. I find Mao a difficult character to integrate into Lelouch's allies, simply because beside the facts that he received his Geass when he was young, loves C.C., is Chinese and has a major screw loose, we know nothing about him. I tried to make it work, did I succeed?

5. Does anyone have anything he'd like to see, or ideas that might be helpful?

6. The usual. What did you like, what can I do better, on a scale from 1 to 10, etc...?

7. Tell me whatever you want to tell me.

To Trayus: I can assure you that Rolo won't knife Shirley, why should he? If I leave him with Britannia, then the chance they'll even meet is near-nonexistent, and if he joins Lelouch, then both Lelouch and Rolo will have too many close allies for Rolo to develop such feelings of jealousy like the ones that drove him to put his knife into Shirley.

To uberjik: Of course I agree that the core members of the Black Knights will notice that Kallen and Zero are acting more relaxed and close with each other. The reason I had Ohgi react so violently was because Tamaki practically accused Kallen of sleeping with Zero. As for why Cornelia is pressing the Vincent's completion, Britannia believes in firepower above all. So while the Guren didn't actually destroy or seriously damage the Lancelot, it was clearly having the upper-hand and probably would have won if the ground hadn't given away and ended the fight with Kallen taking a plunge. So now she wants two Knightmares of the Lancelot's calibur, so that the Guren would be ripped to shreds between them. Not saying that will happen, just explaining Cornelia's thinking.

To Kerii-tan: I hope your happy with the new chapter, and I agree. Rolo and Mao would be a great team, considering that Rolo the living machine is probably one of the few who can stay around Mao for extended periods of time and not attack him.

To Jnottle: Interaction? Probably yes, but I can't say what kind of interaction yet.

To Blaid: Regarding 1) and 2), I haven't decided yet, or I'm simply not telling. Choose what you prefer. As for 3), I left that decision to my reviewers, and they told me they wanted a success, who am I to deny them?

To Selhrac: Concerning OCs, I use them when I feel like doing so, if I want to differ from the canon-storyline, but I carefully consider if putting one there is practical or if it just turns into a Mary Sue that disturbs the whole flow of the story. So for now, Markus is the only OC I have planned, and I haven't even revealed him! And what you said about Rolo. Why the hell should I try to replace Nunnaly with him?! And even if by some immense lapse of judgment I tried to do so, how is that supposed to work? Since the BK will win, Lelouch and Nunnaly won't be captured, so there is no need to replace her. And I can guarantee that Nunnaly won't die anytime soon.

To nequam-tenshi: No, and probably not.

To jodan-no-ken: I forgot to mention this, but what Lelouch picked up was not a actual newspaper, but more of a flier that was made, copied and distributed be Elevens to show their support for Zero. No newspaper would actually be allowed to print something like that. And in that case, Diethard was completely innocent, I'd think with him trying to join the BK, he has better things to do than print fliers that might focus unwanted attention on him. As for your request of more relaxed scenes, I tried to put some of that in this chapter, and a peaceful day or two will occur, one during the next two chapters.

To All That Is Left Unsaid: I never really had a schedule for updates, as I feel they only put pressure on you, like 'OMG, I should be much further by now!' That never helps with the quality. My only update-schedule is 'Put the chapter up when it's done.' I just felt it fair to warn that the next update might take a while and why. But you're right, I'll probably reduce the update-pace a bit, as I'm currently under a bit of stress.

To Worker72: No, Kallen can't influence Mao's Geass, since Geass is a given ability and not a sense. Kallen also can't heal Nunnaly, as her power allows her to increase or decrease the senses of others, she is unable to completely take a sense away, although she can reduce them until their practically useless, and she can't restore lost senses either.

To Leo Delkin: Thanks for the warning, I'll try not to make that mistake in the future, though I'm afraid it might still pop up once in a while. Old habits die hard, as they say.

To exwindz: Yes, Kallen will grow suspicious, but not immediately, since her mind is elsewhere. Yes, Kaguya has a high chance of recognizing Lelouch. Yes, Markus knew Marianne's true personality, and he only cared for Lelouch and Nunnaly, hating all that might become a threat, which in his eyes included Marianne, and as we all know, he had good reasons for his distrust.

For now, that's all folks, thank you for reading. Now there is just one more thing you have to do

Please Review


	18. Problems at the Port

Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I don't own CG

* * *

Lelouch yawned. He had completed the last preparations during the night, and now had just finished a very refreshing nap. And school was over as well, what more could you ask for? Tonight was the night it would happen. V.V. probably wouldn't show, but that was to be expected. The boy was busy looking at construction-plans and his little notebooks, he currently had three. Mao had refused to go, too many voices. All Lelouch could do right now was wait and hope he hadn't forgotten anything vital.

* * *

Kallen was torn. She didn't like Clovis, or any other member of the Royal Family, but his actions had been amusing. Her stepmother was in a panicked mood, fearing for the shreds of her image. And Zero, no Lelouch, had said that Clovis had no more choice in being a member of the Royal Family than she had had being a Britannian. But it seemed strange. Why did he seem to know Clovis' personality so well that he could decide to spare him moments after they met? Of course, he could have simply gotten the needed information with his Geass, but Kallen had the nagging suspicion that it was more than that.

But either way, right now she couldn't focus on suspicions, she had a battle to prepare for.

* * *

V.V. stretched. He had spent some time, okay, a lot of time, in his room, going through different calculations and making final adjustments. He had a small Flasher on the Guren's head. Nothing grand, just a short flash of bright light, but it would cover her use of Geass. If anyone saw the flash and then nothing, they'd suspect the flash, not some obscure power coming from a sound that they likely didn't even consciously hear. But right now, he needed some air.

Walking through Ashford's park really refreshed him. V.V. had almost forgotten how nice it could be to have a short walk under the sun, as even in the directorate, such walks were a rare luxury, not to mention that walks through the desert usually weren't that relaxing. The only question was, what would he do tonight? He didn't feel a need to participate in Lelouch's operation, he wouldn't be that much use, so how to kill the time? Work on some new weaponry? He did that all the time and felt like taking a break. He hadn't visited Nunnaly in a while, so why not have dinner with her, keep her company since Lelouch couldn't? Yeah that sounded like a good idea.

His thoughts were derailed when he heard a sharp voice call him. "You there! Boy!"

Annoyed, V.V. turned his head to see a tanned woman wave at him. He raised a brow when he identified her as Villetta Nu of the purist-faction. What did she want? He walked to the fence, making sure it was between them. "Yes?"

Villetta looked at him. "You are a friend of that black-haired boy, are you not?"

Now she had V.V.'s interest, not that he showed it. "Maybe. A lot of boys in this school have black hair, and I know some of them. Why?"

Villetta looked around. "Not here. This is confidential. If you could follow me to my car?" She pointed at a black limo, though not a very fancy one. It looked like the basic car used by the Men In Black.

V.V. raised a brow. "You want me, a child in all rights, to follow a perfect stranger into car that you can't look into? Lady, how dumb do you think I am? Are you pull out a bag of sweets next?"

Villetta blushed. "What? I'm not a kidnapper! Look brat,..."

"My name is Victor, not brat." V.V. interrupted her, amused with her increased desperation. She seemed about to pull her hair out, since the fence kept her from smacking him.

Villetta calmed herself down. "Fine, Victor, stay where you are, but come a little closer, I don't want this to get public knowledge, since we lack evidence."

This brought her V.V.'s undivided attention. He quickly stepped closer to the fence. Viletta moved closer as well, looked around and showed him a picture. V.V.'s mask slipped. "Lelouch." He muttered, realizing instantly he might have made a mistake. Now she knew his name. He decided to overplay it. "What about him?"

Villetta looked at him, feigning sympathy. "He's suspected to be involved with a known terrorist cell, the Black Knights."

The shock on V.V.'s face was real, if exaggerated. How in the nine rings of hell had that imbecile found that out?! Then he remembered that Lelouch had geassed her. Was her memory returning? No, that was impossible, all his studies with users showed that if a Geass erased memories as a side-effect, then they stayed erased. Then he realized that Lelouch had tried to geass her in her Knightmare first. Did he waste so much time before geassing that a image of him wasn't erased along with the rest? That had to be it!

He decided to wing his act. "T-That can't be, no way." He gave a glance behind him, as if looking for something behind the school's walls. Then he walked away. While leaving, he glanced at Villetta. She had a grin on her face.

It was not hard to see through her plot. She was obviously the only one suspecting Lelouch, so she had resorted to using a trick, a fairly simple one at that, instead of simply arresting him and squeeze out the answers, not that it'd work. Take someone who knows your suspect, and make him doubt said suspect. He will then try to follow the suspect, and you follow him. That way, if your unknowing guide is spotted or walks into a trap, you don't risk your neck. Simple, yet potentially very effective. Villetta had probably spied on Ashford for a day or two before making a move. Her target would have probably been Shirley, who had an obvious crush on the boy, but when she saw him, she probably thought that a snot-nosed brat would be even easier to trick and was less likely to get shot, and maybe even tickle a confession out of Lelouch. V.V. was thankful that she had chosen him, if she really had taken Shirley, things could have gotten very ugly.

It seemed that his dinner with Nunnaly had just been canceled. And he really had been looking forward to it.

* * *

Meanwhile, Bartley looked at Rolo. "I had a look at Asplund's new toy, the Vincent, and it is impressive. There is no shielding, instead more weaponry, so called Needle Blazers. The design of the swords is impressive as well, as it can be turned into a double-bladed staff. But the most interesting thing is that it has a integrated flight-pack, even though it's not functional, since Asplund wants to have more test-data before installing something that could fry the entire Frame if it doesn't work."

Rolo nodded. Bartley had shown him some specs, and it looked advanced. "What's my mission?" He asked.

Bartley smiled. "The Vincent is scheduled to be piloted by a total imbecile, a Duke's son, whose skill is mediocre at best. Your mission will be to take aver the Vincent and do the scheduled missions in his stead. You are to perform to the best of your abilities, although try to make sure that your cover isn't blown at the worst possible time. Also, try to keep the terrorists casualties to a minimum, we need answers, especially if they have Geass and if yes, if V.V. is amongst them or just left them as a distraction to cover his escape."

Rolo nodded. "Understood." Then he left.

Bartley was happy. The boy would probably do a better job, and that duke-son was far too proud to admit someone had knocked him out and did his job for him, especially if it was done well. No, the man would simply hog the glory and not care about what happened. And the Black Knights, whether they had Geass-users or not, would be in for a nasty surprise.

* * *

Suzaku glanced around. They were hidden in warehouses, and were only waiting for her highness Cornelia's order to commence the attack in the JLF. He heard the instructions, and he didn't like them. They were ordered to shoot anyone who showed his face on deck, and disarmed Portmans were waiting for the ship to take off so that they could get an easy win. After all, bullets were little more than flies to the specially reinforced Knightmares, and it was doubtful they'd even make a dent. After all, Portmans were designed to withstand higher water-pressure, even if the current limit was forty feet. The JLF would need some sort of explosives to really damage them, and the Intel said that the only thing they had that could blow was the Sakuradite.

Suzaku's next glance focused on the golden Knightmare next to him. This was Lloyd's newest work, and for a change, he actually reacted violently. Whenever someone other than Cecile criticized the Vincent, he'd throw something at them. Usually something heavy, books and the occasional tool. But Lloyd had a point, that thing looked impressive. It seemed to take up that old romantic idea of the knight in shining armor, and the differences in the Lancelot were obvious and made Suzaku wonder what exactly that machine could do. The MVSs looked different, more like elongated spear-tips than swords, but that wasn't what confused Suzaku. There was something that bothered him about the Vincent's arms. Something was off, but Suzaku couldn't quite place his finger on it.

Another thing that seemed strange was the pilot. Lloyd had described him as a braggart with a dislike for Numbers, so Suzaku had expected to be on the receiving end of multiple bad jokes, or to be openly insulted. But the man had kept communication to a minimum. But maybe he was just tense because of the mission. After all, it wasn't every day that you did your duty under the watchful eyes of the infamous Witch of Britannia, the brilliant commander Cornelia li Britannia herself. Everyone doubled their effort to not screw up, simply because she was present.

Suzaku was as tense as everyone else, but still he didn't like what they were doing. Then they rolled into the open and raised their weapons, preparing to fire on anyone who showed their faces on deck. And to Suzaku's dismay, someone actually appeared. Guns were readied and fired, and the man dropped. Still, something unexpected had happened.

"Clever." Darlton's voice rang through the radio.

"Sir?" One of the soldiers asked. You could hear Darlton chuckle.

"That man was wearing a helmet and bullet-proof armor. He was probably sent out check the situation, and is now crawling back on all fours with a few broken ribs at worst to give his report. Would you look at that, they're planning to leave us behind. And I had expected them to send a surrender to buy some time first. They must think they're almost out of the woods."

Cornelia chuckles were heard. "Almost out of the woods, huh? Then it's time we release the big bad wolves. Send in the Portmans. Show those Elevens just how futile their efforts are!"

A chorus of "YES, YOUR HIGHNESS!" rang through the speakers as the Portman dived, while the land-based units basically fired at anything that they thought moved.

Cornelia allowed herself a smile. This seemed to be going just as planned, although it was a shame that Zero apparently decided not to take the stage today, she would have liked to introduce him to a few friends, like a firing squad that she had worked with a few times in the past.

She heard a few soldiers joke about how easy this was when the first Portman started to climb the ship.

"This is too easy. Look, we've almost won. The first Portman almost reached the deck, this is over."

Another guy laughed: "We have it in the bag. Drinks on me tonight!"

A third chirped in. "Well, with a declaration like that, what could possibly go wrong?"

A shiver went down Cornelia's spine. Things never improved when such words were spoken, but the situation often took a plunge. She had no idea how right she was.

* * *

The first Portman had just reached the top of the ships hull, and couldn't resist turning on the speakers and frighten the trash that was on the boat. "Eleven-trash, prepare to meet your end!"

He was surprised when he heard a cocky sneer through the ship's speakers. "Britannian scum, prepare to meet your maker!" He looked up, and what he saw made him piss his pants.

He grabbed for the communicator. "They have bazookas! They have fucking- ARGH!" The line was dead. The soldier had fired at the Portman's chest that, despite its increased armoring, was not designed to take hits from weapons that had been designed and modified to take out heavily armored tanks. The front-section of the Frame was blasted away by the impacting projectile. Half a second later, the cockpit was engulfed in an explosion, and the destroyed Frame fell into the ocean.

Another unit, who had been slightly behind the first one, made the mistake of staring after its fallen comrade with the unit's head in plain sight. The JLF-soldiers spoke again. "You Britannians believe in Davy Jones, right? Well send him my regards." With that, a second rocket-propelled grenade launched and destroyed the protruding head. Fortunately, this pilot managed to safely eject.

* * *

Cornelia was furious. That stupid soldier had jinxed them after all! "Darlton, why weren't we informed? And what exactly do they had that causes that much destruction?"

Darlton seemed to have already regained his cool. "We knew they had infantry-armaments, that technically can include rocket-launchers. A loop in Intel I guess. As for their armament, I doubt they have real Britannian bazookas, probably some Russian RPG-29 Vampir, those are cheap, easily smuggled into Area 11 and can be loaded with anti-tank explosives. They could have the newer model, the RPG-32 Hashim, but that would probably cost more than their budget could take. As for the damage on the first Portman, I think the poor sod simply had bad luck. The explosion probably ignited the fuel for the cockpit's boosters, and the boy's cockpit may have had some flaw. A series of unfortunate events, but nothing worrying. If they try to run on deck and shoot at us, we'll mow them down before they can say 'bad move'."

Cornelia nodded. The situation was still under control, the people doing the investigations had just chosen a unfortunate phrasing, nothing to worry about. Then the ship's storage hatch opened. "Are they trying to lift up some Sakuradite to force us to hold our fire?" She wondered, then her eyes widened. "What the hell?!"

Darlton seemed to share her thoughts. "If I get my hands on whoever wrote those reports... Those are Burai, pseudo-Glasgows! How did they get those, not to mention smuggle them on board? Crap, they're armed! Your highness, get in your Gloucester, you'll be a easy target outside of a Knightmare!"

Cornelia turned and ran to her machine as the Burai opened fire on the suddenly very panicked soldiers. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed that a speedboat seemed to approach, but she couldn't be bothered with it right now. Either the informants in Area 11 were completely incompetent, or the JLF had been armed by a third party beforehand. And Cornelia could only think of one group that would be able to supply them with Knightmares on such short notice, and if she was right, they were about to come under a much more direct attack. Zero was here, she could feel it. And that meant he had some nasty surprises prepared for them.

Sometimes, Cornelia hated always being correct.

* * *

Lelouch smiled behind his mask. Ohgi, who was manning one of the sentry-points had informed them that the JLF had just brought out the Knightmares. It was time to get to work. Kallen's voice filled his cockpit. "Zero, do we join the fray?"

He shook his head, despite the fact that no one could actually see him. "No, not yet. First, we wait until the firework is over. However, we charge the warehouse with the Gloucester as soon as the first explosion is heard. That warehouse will be one of the few places where it won't rain hellfire." With that, he pressed his first trigger that would send the boat filled with Sakuradire-barrels and explosives into the enemy lines. Once he heard the boom, the second trigger would ensure chaos. He smirked. This would probably be intense, but with Kallen in the Guren and the other BKs to distract opponents, they would probably be fine, as long as they didn't do something stupid, like drop their guard. At that, Lelouch blinked. Why was he bringing Tamaki again?

* * *

The large speedboat made a beeline for the line of defenders that were stationed right before the warehouse, ignoring the bullets that were bouncing off its exterior like hail from a windshield. The Britannians still only had micro-bullets, and that was not enough to stop three tons of metal and _baggage_ on a kamikaze-mission going sixty miles an hour. With a final burst of speed and a good wave, the boat was lifted into the air, flying over the concrete wave-breaker of the pier, and started skidding when gravity regained its hold on the boat, slamming into a line of Sutherlands. When it stopped, more Sutherlands surrounded it, the useless guns pointing at it, waiting for the attackers to swarm out of it. Then the roof opened, but what they saw was not what they'd expected. Instead of Knightmares, barrels were lined up in the ship, together with a strange device that blinked. One of the soldiers had an epiphany.

"Shit, IT'S A TRAP!"

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOMM!!!

The fireball engulfed all surrounding Knightmares, destroying them completely. At the same time, some of the containers that were standing everywhere opened and revealed charging Burai and a red machine that anyone who survived Narita would instantly recognize. It had begun.

* * *

Lelouch heard the unmistakable boom of an explosion and smirked. He pressed the special trigger he had with him. That trigger activated two things. It opened the containers the BK-Knightmares were in, giving them the room to finally make their move, and it activated the rest of the fireworks.

* * *

Just as the Black Knights charged, The cranes all over the pier suddenly started to move, swinging towards the direction of Britannian Knightmares, dropping crates into their ranks. Unfortunately, those crates contained Sakuradite-barrels hooked up with explosives, which had the same effect amongst the Britannians as multiple anti-tank/Knightmare-mines going off in their midst. Those cranes that hadn't lifted any crates simply turned their wide side to the Britannians, before a number of well-placed explosives made them drop on them. Others simply dropped the concrete plates that kept them in balance on the Britannians. Pandemonium reigned supreme as the completely blindsided Britannians scurried for a formation or simply dear life.

The Vincent immediately backpedaled and making an amazing backwards-curve took cover behind the Lancelot, which had thrown up all shields to block the shrapnel and the bullets still hailing down from the tanker. Suzaku looked at the Vincent in confusion when the pilot spoke.

"The Vincent was designed more offensively than the Lancelot. I lack any sort of protection sans the Knightmare's armoring. Requesting cover."

Suzaku blinked. That had been absolutely neutral, only a slight strain from the breakneck-maneuvering was hidden in the voice. Suzaku nodded dumbly. "Granted. I'll cover you until the worst fire is over."

"Affirmative." That was all. Weird. Then Suzaku noticed the Black Knightmares charging the warehouse with the Gloucesters, not that they didn't shoot at anything else that looked Britannian. The red machine that was taking the lead was what really worried Suzaku.

"Damn! We have to help her! But with the JLF firing at us, we won't be able to move! What do we do?" He hissed, knowing that the golden freeloader under his shield was the only one who could at least somewhat match that red monster aside from himself. Together, they would probably be able to beat it. But they couldn't leave their defense as long as they were under fire.

Darlton's voice rang through the speakers. "Damn, we're in a pincer assault! Priorities have changed, protect her highness Cornelia! I don't care how, but we have to break through this!"

"Understood." rang the emotionless voice out of the Vincent as it grabbed the Lancelot's VARIS. Everyone looked as it made a half-spin that left it out in the open. Even while he was spinning, the Vincent readied the weapon.

Suzaku's eyes widened. "He can't..."

But he could. And he did. After all, the orders were 'And try to capture the JLF-leader alive if it is reasonably practical', and right now, it wasn't. A single shot was fired. Everything seemed to stop for a moment as the bullet shot forwards and pierced the ship's hull, right where the storage-holds would be. Absolute silence reigned for a moment, nobody moved, all eyes were focused on the ship, then...

KA-BOOOOOOOMM!!!!!!

The explosion was much worse this time, not surprising, considering that the amount of Sakuradite that formed the blast was much bigger. The five Burai on deck were wiped out of existence, together with anyone else on board and a few Portman that had tried to get close and hit the Burai with their Harken.

Suzaku stared in shock, much like most of the Britannian soldiers and the Black Knights. The only one moving was the Vincent. It dashed at the red machine, obviously trying to take it out in the confusion. But the Guren noticed it, grabbed a piece of metal that was laying around and chucked it at the golden blur. It was supposed to be a distraction, but Kallen's eyes widened at what happened next. The machine vanished and reappeared shortly before her, elbow extended.

* * *

Kallen barely managed to slap the offending limb away as a greenish blast shot out of the elbow and shredded a container in its path. Kallen immediately activated her Surger, thrusting it forward. The Vincent leaned back and vanished, this time reappearing twenty feet away. Kallen turned her radio to a private channel.

"Lelouch, this guy can teleport! What the hell is going on?"

Lelouch, who was attacking Cornelia's Frame, the only one that had been boarded and close to activation before their attack, frowned. "I saw it. Its speed should be comparable to your own, so it's not the machine. Geass doesn't allow teleportation, V.V. said that the powers were mental in origin. Wait, if this guy can teleport, why didn't he just appear behind you?" Then he noticed something. "You're boxed in! There are crates to both your sides, he'd normally have to go through you to get behind you. Wait, V.V. mentioned a Geass-user like that." His eyes widened. "Kallen, use your Geass! This guy is Rolo, the empire's best assassin! He doesn't teleport, he freezes your sense of time, making you stand around motionlessly as he attacks!"

Kallen's eyes widened as she dodged a sword-strike, before thrusting her Surger again, forcing the Vincent away once more. "Do I even have a chance?"

Lelouch nodded. "V.V. said that his power can only be used in short bursts, seeing that it stops his heart. The bigger the area of effect, the bigger the strain, so he probably won't use it too often. Use your Geass and V.V.'s new gimmick, I'll probably have my hands full with Cornelia. She's in her Knightmare, and honestly, she's the better pilot. This may sound heartless, but try to finish your business quickly, I have no idea how long I'll last."

The Lancelot was approaching, hoping to assist, but a communication from the Vincent stopped it. "Kururugi, assist princess Cornelia. I'll handle this one. If you join, I may be unable to perform at full efficiency."

Suzaku bit his lip, not wanting to leave the rookie alone with that red machine, but the other pilot was right, he had to assist her highness. "Keep on your toes, this guy is no pushover."

"Thanks for the warning, but I never underestimate my opponents. Now go."

The Lancelot turned, and Kallen was shocked to see that it was heading towards Lelouch and Cornelia.

She punched the communicator. "Lelouch, the Lancelot is heading your way, get out of there!"

The answer was pressed. "I can't, Cornelia is piloting me against the wall, and the other units can't help too much either. The Britannians organized themselves now that the JLF is no longer peppering their backs. Not to pressure you, but I could really use a hand right now."

Kallen cursed. This was all going south, and way too fast. She pushed the trigger V.V. had given her while whistling as loud as she could. The device on the Guren's head gave a bright flash, and the Vincent seemed to stagger. "How do you like that, asshole?" she muttered.

* * *

Rolo hissed. "What's wrong?" A voice rang through the speakers. It sounded sure of himself, so it was probably a superior.

"I've been blinded. There was some kind of flash, and now I don't see anything. It has been at least ten seconds, but my vision is still not returning." Rolo reported.

"Then you should retreat immediately." The order came.

Rolo shook his head. "Negative. My opponent will immediately move to defend Zero if I leave. I only have to keep him occupied a little longer. My opponent isn't at his best either, he repeatedly freezes." He had no intention of explaining why the other pilot froze, nor did he have orders to do so. The only problem was, he was now dependent on his hearing to locate the enemy, and he had only briefly been trained for combat with limited visibility. Still, he could get the rough location of his opponent from the noise his Landspinners made, and if he used his Geass more freely, he might just win. It wouldn't be easy, but it would be possible. Despite the pain in his chest, he would have to make a wide-range Geass in order to make sure the red machine didn't make any sudden movements. He activated his Geass and clutched his chest in pain.

* * *

Lelouch was starting to get in serious trouble. Cornelia had been bad enough, but now the Lancelot had shown up, and they had him on the run. It was a miracle he still had his rifle, but it wouldn't do him much good. The enemies were simply too agile. Another problem Lelouch found himself confronted with was that he didn't really want to fight Suzaku or Cornelia. He was hesitant to actually fire at them, but mind-games didn't work in the middle of combat unless you really want to piss someone off. And in his situation, that was the last thing he wanted to do.

Sadly, that sentiment was not shared, as Suzaku and Cornelia seemed only too eager to tear him apart. They had repeatedly attacked him, and Lelouch had no illusions that the only reason for his somewhat good condition was that they weren't really working together. Suzaku had aborted three strikes that would have taken Lelouch out because he had accidentally moved into Cornelia's path. Make that four times. Despite the seriousness of the situation, Lelouch had to smirk. Good old Cornelia, never letting a Number steal her show, even if the guy might actually run it better.

Lelouch knew this much, once they started actually coordinating themselves, he was toast. If either of them had been alone, he'd be long dead. And it looked like they had realized that as well, as they suddenly moved away from each other and him before charging him. The way they were moving, they'd meet right at the point where Lelouch was. He suddenly had the image of a giant white-and-purple pincer shooting at him, weapons drawn. 'Well shit.' Was all that was going through his head.

Then he noticed an irregularity. Cornelia's lance, while pointing his way, had stopped rising and was at a angle far too low for skewering him. He frowned, then he saw that Suzaku's MVSs had also stopped moving midway. He immediately understood. This Rolo had used his Geass on a large scale, and his attackers happened to get caught in it! His eyes shot upwards for a moment. Somebody up there really liked him. Now to use the chance before it passed.

He raised his rifle and shot Suzaku's Landspinner. The Lancelot suddenly started to spin around its own axis, and Lelouch knew that Suzaku would feel like crap when this was over. Somehow, after all he'd suffered through by the Japanese boy's actions, that thought raised Lelouch's mood higher than it'd been since he entered combat. Now he pointed his rifle at Cornelia and fired.

Unfortunately, Rolo's Geass wore off just as he fired. Cornelia saw the shot and tried to dodge, but by doing so, she placed her Gloucester's knee right into the bullet's path. The sudden loss of stability caused her Knightmare to lean forward while its sheer momentum kept it from sinking to the ground. Now Lelouch didn't have to worry about Cornelia's lance, but about her Frame crashing into him.

In a reflex he never thought he had, he ducked his Burai, letting Cornelia's Gloucester sail above his head. Only after she had flown past him did Lelouch notice the disaster in the making. Cornelia's Frame had tipped upside down, meaning her cockpit was now pointing the way she was flying, and she was flying towards the edge of a very sturdy-looking container. Lelouch remembered quite well how fragile cockpits were from Kallen's fight with the Knightpolice, and immediately understood that if Cornelia crashed like that, there was a real chance she might not make it. He did the only thing he could in the moments he still had, he fired his Harkens. They hit the right arm with the Lance, damaging the limb while forcing the machine into rotation. The right arm impacted against the container, smashing into pieces. The midsection took heavy damage as well, but the cockpit was safe.

* * *

Lelouch released a breath he hadn't noticed holding. He turned on his communicator. "Kallen, what's your status?" He asked on the private channel.

"Could be better. Even when blind, that golden pile of crap has me on the ropes. His Geass is giving him an edge, he hears where I am and which way I'm going, then uses his Geass to make sure I don't dodge or change direction." She replied.

"What are the damages?" Lelouch asked.

Kallen cursed. "Son of a bitch! That one nearly got me! On the bright side, I think he's in too much pain to geass me anymore. His movements are getting a bit sloppy. As for damages, the Guren has a shallow gash on the chest an some damage on the left arm where he nailed me. And my parrying-dagger has been sliced through when I blocked. This asshole has some dents, boils from the Surger on the chest and shoulders, and some nasty damage on the right side of the head from the claws. This is really a war of attrition, we're barely doing any damage to each other."

Lelouch nodded. "Retreat. We're going to pull back, there's no point in dragging this out. The longer we wait, the more likely it is that the Britannians get support."

"Understood. See you later." Kallen cut the connection.

Lelouch changed the channel. "To all Black Knights, we're pulling back. If we drag this out, the Knightpolice or more military show up. The Britannians killed the JLF in a coward's act, there is no point in us being here. Retreat!"

* * *

Lelouch had just finished his communication, when something caught his eye. The Lancelot had used the chance to sneak up on him with both MVSs drawn.

In a single motion, the red blades shot town and removed both arms including Harkens. Lelouch cursed and backpedaled to get the hell away. He spun around and tried to drive away, but he had underestimated Suzaku. The Lancelot threw the sword at the retreating Burai, piercing it just below the cockpit. Lelouch knew he had little time to get away and made his machine pirouette, activating the auto-eject when he was facing the Lancelot.

"That was close." Lelouch muttered. A second later, the cockpit was shook by multiple impacts and Lelouch understood that Suzaku had fired his Harkens at him. Fortunately, the Harkens hadn't stuck into the cockpit as Suzaku had probably intended, so he couldn't reel Lelouch in. But now the cockpit was spiraling out of control!

* * *

V.V. felt the strong urge to bash his head against one of the surrounding containers. He had 'tailed' Lelouch, while doing his best to ignore the woman that was following him so obviously that he was beginning to wonder why the woman hadn't grown suspicious that he _hadn't_ noticed her yet. He had let the distance between himself and Lelouch gradually grow, until he finally 'lost' the black-haired boy. Then he had led Villetta on a wild goose-chase, leading her away from the meeting of the BK, yet close enough for her not to try to look on her own, and now, when things were going so well, Lelouch's cockpit falls out of the sky, landing right in front of him! All that work, down the drain.

When Lelouch, who was obviously unconscious, moved and his gun dropped out, V.V. grabbed it. Then his mask slipped, and V.V. saw his face. He pretended to be shocked, waiting for Villetta the cocky to make her entry. And he was not disappointed.

"Who would have thought that the student was really Zero?" She grabbed Lelouch's hair and pulled his head up. "When I bring him in, all discredit will fall off me. I'll be made a noble for this. I wonder what grand execution he'll get." Then she remembered V.V., who was watching everything with tilted head, and looked at him. "Don't worry, you'll get your deserved credit... What are you doing?"

V.V. had raised the gun, giving Villetta a bright smile while doing so. "I'm sorry," He spoke in a cheery neutral voice "but Zero's identity must be kept secret at all costs. You have to die now."

Villetta didn't even try to grab for her gun. Instead, she tried to make a run for it, but the bullet pierced her before she got four steps. With her last strength, she jumped into the water.

V.V. ran to the edge, unsuccessfully looking for her. He remembered the layout of the shore and knew that the current would quickly pull her into open waters. And while V.V. hadn't hit anything important, he had forgotten to calculate the recoil when he shot, Viletta would probably be going into shock by now. She'd be dead in a few minutes. Right now, V.V. had more important things to do.

He looked at Lelouch and gave him a smack to get him to wake up. Lelouch blinked as he woke. "V.V.? What are you doing here?"

Said immortal shrugged. "Saving your hide? Cleaning up your messes? A Britannian soldier suspected you to be Zero, and tried to use me. I lured her here and shot her. She dropped in the water. Now let's go, the military will be swarming this place like ants in a few minutes."

Lelouch nodded. "You're right. But I'll want details later."

V.V. shrugged. "I'd be very disappointed if you didn't. Know let's go, and pronto please."

* * *

A few hundred feet away, Villetta clinged to some of the concrete wave-breakers that were in front the pier. With all her strength, she pulled herself up and started to climb. It all made sense to her now, this Lelouch Lamperouge had an ability that messed with a person's head. He could probably give some sort of order, and erase all memories of following the order. It sounded like it came out of the Twilight-Zone, but if it was true, it would explain everything. Jeremiah's actions at Kururugi's execution, her own experience in Shinjuku... and that boy's behavior. At first she thought that Victor was an ally of Lelouch, but he had acted too weird. No child gives bright smiles when killing someone. The boy had probably tried to confront Lelouch about his involvement with the Black Knights, maybe he had even found evidence that Lelouch was Zero, and the teenager had used his power to not only shut him up, but to protect the secret with his life. Truly, only a very wicked man would use a child in such a way.

She ignored the fact that she had tried to use the boy in a similar way, and focused her remaining strength on climbing. She had almost made it, when a particularly large wave washed over her. When the waters receded, Villetta could feel her fingers loosing grip, the waters washing them off. "No. No! No, no, nonononono!" She shouted has she lost her hold and dropped backwards.

It wasn't a deep fall, not even four feet, but she slammed her head into a protruding part of a wave-breaker. Darkness took her, and her last thought was that hopefully someone would find her.

* * *

Chapter 18 is done. Took a while, but oh well. The next chapter will be more peaceful, probably little plot-relevance, at least most of it.

Honestly, I'm not that happy with this chapter. I still have problems describing fights between armies, but unfortunately, the only way to get better is to train it, so sorry if this is still bad. Since the next chapter will be more relaxed, I'm hoping that it will be better.

And please don't get any wrong ideas about the rocket-launchers. I am not one of those who are experts in weaponry, I couldn't tell a sniper-rifle from a machine-gun. I used Wikipedia to search for a weapon that I thought would fit the bill, and the Russian 'Vampir' just worked. The time of invention, the point of origin, everything simply seemed to fit my needs perfectly. Hey, I do my homework, at least sometimes.

Normally, I would now start to ask questions, but to tell the truth, I got a cold and my headaches are starting to act up, so right now, I really can't be bothered to find something I want to ask. Specific questions are good if you want specific answers, but I also like to simply see what my readers have to say to me. With most people, if you ask questions, you get them answered, but some only answer them and write nothing else. Not that I mind, I just don't feel like asking questions this time, nor do I have a real idea what to ask, except how you found the battle and the usual how you liked the chapter.

So, I'll skip the questions this time, and move on to the replies.

To azul120: Kallen doesn't like Britannians, especially not nobility. It's a basic thing. Regarding Euphimia, I'd say probably not.

To EternalKnight219: Giving Lelouch a better Knightmare than the Gawain won't be easy. In my R2, it'd be no problem, but right now, they don't really have the secret bases and materials needed to develop a new Knightmare. As far as I know, Rakshata brought all the good Knightmares with her when she came to Area 11/Japan. So right now, no.

To OBSERVER01: Nemo doesn't exist in my fic. The Geass that they have in NoN don't fit in my story, as Geass is mental in origin. So pulling Knightmares like the Mark Nemo out of nothing just doesn't work.

To Lord Edric: I answered your Vincent-question in the story, but I will repeat. No, Vincent can't fly yet.

To Orchamus: They will, next chapter to be precise.

To nequam-tenshi: I'll try, but I need an actual reason for the Knight of Rounds to show up in Area 11. In this fic, most of Britannia does not see Zero as a danger, just a nuisance. So they have no real reason to send their elite there when they could be conquering new Areas, do they?

To Worker72: Why would V.V. kill Kallen? She is the best pilot they have and desperately need, and has a contract with him, he'd be shooting himself in the foot.

To All That Is Left Unsaid: As usual, thanks for your input. If you don't mind me asking, how do you know so much about Code Geass? When I look for information, all I get are fragments that leave so much room for interpretation that you could hide a continent in them. Anyways, thanks again for your advice.

To Naruto D. Kurosaki: Since I haven't decided on any pairings yet, it's entirely possible that those pairings will happen, although I find C.C./Mao a bit unlikely, considering she already left him once.

To Glennis: C.C. will make her appearance soon, and of course she'll somewhat join the group (you know her, never really being wholehearted in anything). And I haven't decided yet about whose side Rolo will be on.

For now I think I've said enough, so

Please Review


	19. A peaceful day?

Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I don't own CG

* * *

A frown adorned both Lelouch's and V.V.'s faces as both had reported their findings to each other. Lelouch was cursing up a storm, especially when V.V. described Villetta and Lelouch realized that she had been the woman he'd geassed before, meaning that the easy way was blocked. Of course, it didn't matter now that she was dead, but Lelouch followed the old saying of never assuming the enemy was dead until you've seen his, or in this case her, corpse.

V.V. was angered by the fact that Rolo was in Area 11, throwing a giant wrench into his carefully laid plans. He knew best just how dangerous that boy was, after all. He bit his lip. "Rolo's presence changes everything. The only worse thing that could happen are Knights of Round being stationed here, although gratefully, that's not very likely. The number of countries that aren't allied with one of the Big Three is decreasing quickly, and Britannia will want as many as they can. So the Rounds will be deployed to those, not to mention that they still haven't managed to close the holes Markus has left in their ranks. I didn't see it that way earlier, but now I think it's a real shame that he didn't kill the Knight of One when he was at it."

Lelouch nodded. A Knight of Round popping up when he was already troubled with Suzaku in the Lancelot and now Rolo in that golden monster was the last thing he needed. The were already overpowered as it was, as Kallen couldn't take both Rolo and Suzaku on, he desperately needed another ace. Actually, to match the emperor's Rounds, he needed at least seven, or vastly superior ones, not that the chance to actually get them was high. "Is there any way we can get Rolo on our side?" He asked.

V.V. scratched his chin. "I wouldn't call it impossible, but it's very unlikely. Unless something drastic happens, he won't join us even if I asked him. He'd be more likely to report us if we simply went to him and asked, assuming he doesn't kill you and capture me if he sees the chance. You saw how his mind works yesterday. He seeks the most effective solution, and doesn't care about human life. It's what makes him such a wonderful assassin. So unless a miracle happens, Rolo will not betray Britannia, as he has nowhere else to go."

Lelouch nodded. He hadn't really expected anything else, as life had never liked to make things easy for him. He sighed. "Figures. Anyways, now that our Villetta-problem is hopefully solving itself, and our Rolo-problem can currently not be solved, what else is new?"

then immortal boy shrugged. "Well, since Tohdoh and his Four Holy Swords were not on board of that ship, they're still out there somewhere, although even with the Black Knights, we currently don't have the means to search them out. All we can do is hope that they will come to us, either by choice or on Kyoto's advice."

Lelouch nodded. "While they aren't on the level of Bismark, they would be a big help in our cause. Together they might be able to take out the Lancelot, and we already know that Rolo and Kallen when fighting reach a stalemate, so with some fire-support and a little bit of luck, we should be able to take him down. Do you think we'll meet him on our next missions?"

V.V. shook his head. "Unless we go aid another resistance-cell no. After we saved Euphimia, we have some points that Cornelia will want to work down before destroying us. And the fact that you saved her life in that operation gives me hope that things will not spiral out of control immediately, as she'll probably be wondering why you did that. Basically, she'll hunt down every resistance-group _but_ the Black Knights, for multiple reasons. I already explained the personal one, but there I a strategic reason as well. If she takes you out now, the Black Knights will fall, but it would strengthen other resistances and perhaps even create new ones that will take forever to locate and exterminate. Also, if she takes out the other groups first, then they can't lend us their power should we really need it, preventing a wave of support from reaching us at the for Britannia worst possible time. And I doubt Cornelia really minds that we clean up with the corrupt in Area 11, as corruption is one of the things she hates more than anything else. And Rolo will probably destroy a number of resistance-groups for the military. Not a bad move."

Lelouch nodded before yawning. "True, but right now, there's nothing we can do. Despite gaining what one could perceive as a victory since we're still alive, by points it's still a technical draw. We didn't get to save the JLF and got blindsided by the newest enemy, while they didn't get their little canary to sing for them and received a beating from our Black Knights. Still, I can't feel like we received a horrible defeat."

"I know how you feel. Three weeks worth of plans have just been shredded for me as well." V.V. replied, before yawning widely.

Lelouch sighed. "We're both exhausted, and our problems won't solve themselves if we deprive ourselves of sleep, so I suggest we hit the beds for today."

V.V. smiled. "Best thing I heard all day, see you tomorrow." He gave a last wave and headed off, Lelouch heading to Nunnaly's room first.

* * *

Lelouch softly tugged Nunnaly in, a kind smile on his face. "Good night Nunnaly, sweet dreams."

Nunnaly touched his hand and frowned. "Big brother, you're hand is shaking, and I feel imprints of your nails in your palms. Is something wrong?"

Lelouch sighed. "It's just, I've been blindsided in one of my games when something happened that I didn't expect, and I'm having problems finding a way out of the situation." It wasn't a lie, as in some way, Lelouch was still playing a game. It was called war, and the stakes were much higher.

Nunnaly turned her head to him. "I know you'll win, big brother. You always win."

'Yes, when everybody plays by the rules, but unfortunately, it just doesn't work that way.' Lelouch thought to himself, but he gave Nunnaly a small kiss on the forehead nonetheless. "You're right. But now it's time to sleep, we both have to be at full strength to withstand Milly's newest crazy plan."

Nunnaly giggled. "I'm not worried big brother, at least not for myself. But Milly and you seem to have a lot of fun with each other."

Lelouch's eyes widened in honest shock. "What? What makes you say that?! That woman just gets her kicks out of harassing me! More than half of her mad schemes involve her forcing me to do something that embarrasses me to the bones." He whimpered, remembering the last cross-dresser's dance, where he had been forced into a dress. Worst of all, people had claimed he looked good in it! He knew that if V.V. ever heard of that, or even worse, got a hold of one of those accursed photos Milly and a few buffons on the photography-club had shot. He knew that the only way to restore his honor should that happen would be seppuku, Japanese ritual suicide.

Nunnaly giggled. "I like Milly, she has fun ideas, and you don't really seem to mind, since she got you to do whatever she wanted nearly every time."

Lelouch groaned. "Nunnaly, remember this. You cannot reason with Milly Ashford. You can fight a person, you can fight a army, but you can't fight an earthquake or a hurricane. All you can do is try to hold your ground and wait for it to pass."

Nunnaly tilted her head. "Are you comparing Milly to a natural disaster?"

Lelouch shook his head, a sour expression on his face. "No, she's much worse than a natural disaster. Remember the first time I refused to join in her thrice-cursed cross-dressers' ball?"

Nunnaly frowned. "She zapped you, didn't she?"

Lelouch groaned. "Yes, with a stun-gun! When I woke up, I was wearing frills! I can't stop shuddering at the thought of what she will do next." He spoke seriously

Nunnaly laughed, and took a tone of mock-seriousness. "Don't worry big brother, you will prevail, as none of Milly's actions have yet to do any lasting damage."

Lelouch's eyes softened and he laughed. "True, the only thing she permanently damages is my pride. Still, it's time for bed Nunnaly. Tomorrow is a school-day."

Nunnaly nodded. "I guess you're right. Good night."

Lelouch moved to the door. "Good night Nunnaly."

* * *

The next day came swift, and for Lelouch, it started miserable. He had a nightmare of Lady Marianne's death and their banishment, causing him to wake up in cold sweat. Then he had fallen out of bed, when he noticed too late that his legs were still tangled in the blanket, making fall flat on his face. The rest of the time before school were better, as he woke Nunnaly, who gave him one of her heartwarming smiles, and while Sayoko helped her get dressed, he started making breakfast. For today he decided to make a full menu, or at least as full as the little time they had before school allowed.

Toast, freshly-pressed juice, omelets and bacon, everything was prepared. He just finished the hot cocoa, one of the drinks Nunnaly liked most at breakfast, when Sayoko pushed Nunnaly's wheelchair to her spot on the table.

Lelouch smiled. "Good morning Nunnaly, did you sleep well?"

Nunnaly nodded. "Yes. Is that cocoa I smell?"

Lelouch laughed. "Has your nose ever been wrong? Here, but be careful, it's hot."

Nunnaly took it and carefully sipped, after blowing on it a few times to cool it down. "It's delicious!" She proclaimed.

Lelouch smiled. "Glad to be of service."

Sayoko looked at the table. "Master Lelouch, are you expecting a visitor? I count four sets of plates."

Lelouch smiled. "No Sayoko, the last seat is for you."

Sayoko blinked. This had never happened before. "Huh?" was all she managed to stammer out.

Lelouch smiled. "I apologize that I didn't have the time to fix you a Japanese breakfast, but do take a seat. After all, you have become family in the time we've spent together. Why shouldn't you eat with us?"

Sayoko shook her head, still baffled. "That's very kind of you, but I really don't think..."

Lelouch waved her off with a friendly gesture. "Nonsense. Always eating while you stand in the background isn't a nice way to start a morning. Nunnaly, what do you think?"

Nunnaly tilted her head. "I'd like to have breakfast with miss Sayoko as well."

Sayoko looked at the girl, then she smiled. "Very well." She took the empty seat. "But may I ask why you suddenly decided on something like that, master Lelouch?"

Said boy shrugged. "Sure. It's not that anything that special happened, I just had a few rough days and I'm trying to relax a little. So I thought, since you always take care of Nunnaly, a little breakfast was nothing."

At that moment, V.V. stepped into the room, perfectly dressed and half-asleep. He yawned, took a look at Sayoko sitting on the table, gave her a short nod of recognition before taking seat and starting to eat, everyone else following suit. But one thing Lelouch noticed was that V.V. and Sayoko seemed to give each other distrusting glances when the other one wasn't looking and both always had one hand on or at least very close to their knives.

Lelouch had to sweat-drop when he saw that both seemed to tense whenever the other one moved. At one point V.V. seemed ready to throw the knife when Sayoko buttered a toast, just as she gave him a sharp look when the boy extended his hand to reach for the juice. This was not how Lelouch had planned his morning! He cleared his throat, and both had the decency to look embarrassed. The rest of the meal went in peace, something Lelouch appreciated, as while he saw violence as a part of his life, it was not supposed to go into the part of his life titled 'Nunnaly', and he could really do without his contractor and his maid looking for opportunities to slit each others' throats.

Suddenly V.V. looked at him. "There's bad news and worse news, what do you want first?"

Lelouch's eyes narrowed. "What's the bad news?"

V.V. tipped his wristwatch. "If we don't hurry up, we'll be late, and you promised Milly you'd come."

Lelouch frowned. Yes, now that V.V. mentioned it, he recalled Milly telling him to come to something, and him giving a "Yeah yeah, I'll come.", which when given to Milly was about as binding as a contract signed with one's own blood. "What's the worse news?"

The blond boy grinned, and shudders ran down Lelouch's back for some reason he couldn't explain. "First period is PE." Suddenly Lelouch's bad feelings became a lot more tangible.

* * *

Lelouch stared in shock as it approached with high speed. He took a step back and felt the wind as the projectile nearly missed him. Another boy let out a a short shout as he was hit square in the back and fell to the floor. A short glance around revealed to Lelouch that the enemy was using a pincer-assault on him. Now not one but two cannon-balls were shooting at him. In a display of luck and flexibility he didn't even know he could do, Lelouch bent his body, pulling his shoulders back while pushing his waist forward, the incoming projectiles harmlessly passing behind his lower back and in front of his face, allowing Lelouch a short glance on it's smooth surface. Unfortunately, that maneuver cost him his balance and he fell on his back. But his enemy had already resupplied, and as the next shot came, Lelouch could do nothing but helplessly look as the projectile quickly closed the gap between it and Lelouch's face. He prepared for the inevitable impact, when he saw a shadow fall between him and his doom.

"Suzaku?" Lelouch stammered in surprise, as the Japanese boy had just jumped into the path, and took the hit for him. Not only that, but it seemed he had actually caught the shot!

"You okay?" Suzaku asked. Lelouch nodded.

Only one thing was certain for him at this point. "I hate dodge-ball." Yep, he was in the gym, attending PE. Not his favorite place in the academy. Nope, not at all. Thankfully, Suzaku was on his team and permanently covered him, while Kallen and V.V., both being excused from this torture camouflaged as a lesson, watched him squirm with barely-hidden amusement on their faces. The only thing they were missing was a bag of chips or popcorn.

And it looked like things were going from bad to worse, as what Lelouch had long since accepted, or been forced to accept, as his personal poltergeist appeared. Milly Ashford, in all her glory, entered the gym, putting the accursed game on a temporary halt.

Milly smiled at Lelouch. "Well, I never thought I'd see the day, Lelouch not skipping PE."

Lelouch gave a obviously fake smile. "It's not like I had much of a choice. Would you believe that_ a certain someone_ had the _guts_ to blackmail me? Since we're on the topic of presence, aren't you supposed to be in class?"

Milly shrugged. "Officially yes, but our teacher fell ill, so I'm currently granted some free time." She looked at the field, where most participants were still standing around.

Lelouch's eyes widened, his tone was now extremely worried. "Milly, what are you planning? You have that gleam in your eye that you always have before you go declare something that causes others, namely me, headaches."

Milly blinked and looked at him. "Really? Um, I mean, what are you talking about? You should get back into the field, or you'll be disqualified for stepping out of boundaries."

Lelouch gave her a distrusting look. "Why do I get the feeling that that is what I should do right now?" He asked.

Milly rolled her eyes and gave him a push. Lelouch sighed and walked back into the field. As soon as he was back inside, Milly took a deep breath. "SPECIAL EVENT! WHOEVER HITS LELOUCH WITH THE BALL WINS! NORMAL DODGE-BALL-RULES APPLY, SO NO FRIENDLY FIRE! THE WINNER GETS SAME PRIZE AS WE OFFERED ON THE CAT-HUNT! A KISS FROM A COUNCIL-MEMBER OF YOUR CHOICE!"

Complete silence reigned for a second, the coach merely shaking his head at the newest antic, then Lelouch groaned. "Again? How often are you planning on selling our lips?"

Milly shrugged. "Who knows. But you should focus on the game. It's a shame that Shirley is on your team." Milly really would have liked to see what would have happened if the supple carrot-top could have also gained the prize.

Both Kallen and Shirley had gone pale as they saw the lecherous stares of the males, one thought going through both of their heads: 'Not again! And this time, our fate is in the hands of Lelouch! In a physical exercise! We're doomed.'

Shirley regained her voice first. "LULU, DON'T YOU DARE GET HIT!!!"

Kallen had to stick with her persona, as annoying as it was, but the glares she sent his way were clear.

Rivalz was grinning slightly, as he held one of the balls in his hand. He gave a short look to Lelouch, forming a mental apology. 'Sorry buddy, but I know you'll understand. This is a trial that my love must face, and I know that our friendship will last through this harsh time.'

Lelouch meanwhile noticed the dark looks around him, and gulped. He looked around to assess the situation. On the other field, there were five people left, while he was alone. No, not completely alone. When Rivalz pulled his hand back to throw, Lelouch ducked behind Suzaku.

"Sorry Suzaku, but for my sake and others, please be my meat-shield for a while. You probably won't make any points with Milly, but Shirley and Kallen will be grateful, and Milly is not the type to hold grudges." He explained.

Suzaku laughed, but he caught all balls thrown their way and threw them at the few remaining members of the opposing team, then when the enemy king was forced to the field, something that Lelouch could appreciate the irony of, Suzaku caught both balls and in no time, he had hit the king three times, robbing him of all three 'lives' and winning the match for them, and while a lot of men and a few women shot Suzaku dirty looks, Kallen, Shirley and even Milly came to congratulate him.

She shook her head. "I forgot to calculate your presence into my plans." She reprimanded herself.

Lelouch chuckled. "And so another of Milly Ashford's grand and evil schemes fails, thanks to the effort of our best man." He gave Suzaku a pat on the back. "So, do you have any military-duty after this?"

Suzaku gave a sad smile. "Unfortunately yes. There's a lot of work with the engineering-corps, so I'll be leaving soon, and I won't be back until late evening."

Lelouch bit his lip, not liking being lied at, despite knowing why Suzaku was doing it, but he nodded. It made Nunnaly happy, so it was alright. "But you do have to come over for dinner again; Nunnaly is already impatiently waiting for your next visit."

Milly twitched, before giving Suzaku strong pats on the back. "Well, it looks like you'll just have to cut your work short Suzaku, it's very bad manners to leave a lady waiting."

"But..." Suzaku started, but Lelouch cut him off when he placed his hand on Suzaku's shoulder.

He shook his head. "Suzaku, no. Don't even try it, it's not possible to argue with Milly and win. I have to know, I've tried, and failed, for years. The sooner you accept the fact that you'll be coming over for dinner, the sooner we can all go, since Milly won't let us leave without that promise. You just have to take another one for the team. Or don't you want to see Nunnaly?" The guilt-trip. More Milly's forte than his, but with a statement like that, it was impossible to lose.

Suzaku caved. "Alright, I'll see you at dinner."

Milly nodded. "See, all that struggle, and you still obey in the end. Why even struggle when it's in vain? You cannot withstand the power of my _GUTS_!"

Suzaku shot Lelouch a worried glance, but the boy merely shrugged, symbolizing that it was merely another one of Milly Ashford's numerous quirks.

V.V., who had somehow sneaked up on them, cleared his throat. "I hate to break up your meeting, but in case you haven't noticed, we're the last ones here, and break is almost over."

What followed was a short scramble, only V.V., Kallen and Milly, who were still wearing their regular uniforms taking their time.

* * *

The rest of the school-day passed quickly, although the same could not be said about the time afterwords, as Kallen had signaled Lelouch that she wanted to talk, and Lelouch already knew what the conversation would be about. They had chosen a patch of land behind the student-council-clubhouse that was right at the treeline and rarely visited by anyone, so it was deemed a safe meeting-place for now, although they did make sure that nobody was around that could overhear something that wasn't meant for a stranger's ears.

V.V. spoke first. "So Kallen, aside from Lelouch's utter patheticness in any form of physical exercise, what is there to talk about?"

Lelouch frowned. "This getting old real fast V.V., so why don't you cut it out?"

Said boy gave him a wide-eyed stare, giving obviously fake sobs. "B-but y-you m-m-make it sooo easy."

Kallen had to snort, then she refocused. "I want to talk about yesterday. Even though we won, it was..."

Lelouch nodded. "No need to beat around the bush, it was a disaster. While we can claim the tactical victory, that's about it. Our enemy has a new advanced Frame and a Geass-user as a pilot. Ah, since we're currently at that topic, how would you judge our new enemy's skill?"

Kallen frowned. "He was good. Not as good as me or Suzaku, but he was definitely above average. Good in close-combat, although I noticed he fought better with both blades separated and in a reverse-dagger hold than when he wielded them as a double-bladed spear. And he has pretty good aim, considering how he shot the JLF-tanker right where the Sakuradite was, and out of a spin too."

V.V. nodded. "While Rolo wasn't really trained for true combat, he has good reflexes, is a pretty good sniper, and intimately familiar with the usage of knives. It makes sense that he would be better in wielding smaller weapons than a larger, less swift weapon. He is an assassin after all."

Lelouch looked at his accomplice. "Why sniping? With a Geass like his, I wouldn't imagine him needing something like that."

V.V. shrugged. "Because his Geass has a major weakness. Since it stops and strains his heart, it can't be used long, nor on a wide scale. And quickly repeating usage will most likely kill him, so it's a very limited weapon, not to mention that he can only freeze living beings. He was taught sniping so that he could take out targets from a distance and use his Geass to escape, should it prove necessary."

Lelouch massaged his temples. "So for now, we have another enemy who, in this case thanks to his Geass, is equal to another ace on the enemy's side, so they have two. We have one, and while I have full trust in your abilities Kallen, even you won't be able to fight them both and win, even if you blind them both."

Kallen nodded. "Even though I doubt that those two work together well, as this Rolo would have to make sure that Suzaku isn't caught in his Geass by accident, I openly admit that against both at the same time, my chances would not be good."

Lelouch smiled, although it looked a bit bitter. "That is one of Rolo's main problems, as it saved my ass when Cornelia and Suzaku got caught in the blast and I had easy pickings. And now rumors on the web claim Zero is a ace-pilot that can hold his own against the Lancelot and a Gloucester in a Glasgow-level- Frame, although honestly, the time I lasted is more accredited to the fact that Cornelia's and Suzaku's teamwork is non-existent than my own skills. If either one took me on alone, I would have been butchered."

V.V. nodded. "Even if I don't exaggerate your incompetence, you are clearly not on their level. Which leaves the same problem, we will be facing more foes than we can currently deal with."

Lelouch rubbed his chin. "What of Tohdoh and the Four Holy Swords? With their superb teamwork, I was hoping that they'd be able to keep Suzaku, Cornelia and her Royal Knights. Not all at the same time of course, but one or two of the aforementioned. They already fought off the Royal Guard in Narita."

V.V. nodded. "They would indeed give us an edge, and honestly, after the JLF's fall and our attempt to save them, I expected them to contact us, but no luck so far."

Kallen hissed in frustration. She two had been holding hopes that now with the JLF out of the picture, she'd get to fight alongside the famous Tohdoh. "Any chance they'll still join?"

Lelouch answered for V.V. "There's always a chance, but honestly, the longer we don't hear anything, the more likely it is we're wasting our time waiting." He looked at V.V. "Oh, and I have some interesting news you might not have heard about yet."

V.V. raised a brow. "Really? What is it?"

Lelouch smiled. "It seems that the Guren's designer, Rakshata Chawla, is heading towards us, and she intends to join our cause."

V.V.'s jaw dropped, and his eyes were sparkling. "Really? That's fantastic! There are so many things I want to discuss with her. So many ideas... Oh the glorious work we'll accomplish!" He did what looked like a happy little jig, Lelouch and Kallen smiling at each other and shrugging. Then, a voice broke their tranquility.

"VICTOR, IS THAT YOU? WE'RE LOOKING FOR KALLEN, SHE'S GONE AND WE'RE WORRIED." Milly's voice rang through the woods, followed by another one.

"LULU, WHERE ARE YOU? YOU'D BETTER NOT BE GAMBLING AGAIN!" That was Shirley.

The three looked at each other, Kallen close to a panic. "How on earth do we talk ourselves out of this one?"

V.V. nodded. "This will punch major holes in the credibility of your 'I'm-not-dating-Kallen' speeches."

Lelouch bit his lip. How would they get out of this one? Then he had an idea. He sat down, leaning his back against a tree. "Kallen, sit next to me, lean on my shoulder and pretend you're asleep. V.V., do the same thing. We'll say we were worried about Kallen, and when we found her, she had another attack. I volunteered myself as support until she was feeling better, and you just fell asleep. V.V. kept us company and eventually fell asleep as well. They'll buy it, especially since everyone saw you were permanently yawning in class. You pulled one all-nighter too many."

V.V. considered answering, but he merely nodded instead, seeing that it was true. He sat to Lelouch's left side and let his body slump together, supported by Lelouch, while Kallen, leaning her back on Lelouch's shoulder as to not give any wrong impressions, also feigning sleep. It wasn't the best plan, Lelouch would have preferred to escape, but since Milly and Shirley had already heard V.V., Lelouch had to remain because A: someone had to be here to talk to V.V., and B: if he tried to run, he wouldn't be fast enough. Letting Kallen run wouldn't work, as if those two girls were in earshot, they'd hear the noise the escapee would have to make, and suspect something fishy. It would probably end with Milly proclaiming 'The mysterious person meeting Lelouch and Victor must be found out. Whoever manages gets a kiss.'

As bad as doing what they were doing now was, it was the only path that didn't lead to disaster and could quickly and more importantly plausibly be explained. Kallen had just closed her eyes, when Milly and Shirley appeared on the scene.

Milly blinked, then smiled like a Cheshire-cat when she saw the three. "Well what have we here? A forbidden romance in the woods?"

Shirley did not take it as well as Milly. She paled, and seemed to twitch. "What is going on here?!" she demanded.

Lelouch carefully pried his arm from V.V.'s grip and laid a finger on his lips. "Pscht, they're sleeping."

Milly's smile widened. "Worried about your lover?"

"Don't be ridiculous!" came Lelouch's hissed reply. "Why on earth would I drag Victor to some hidden meeting with a lover that, just for the record Milly, I don't have!"

Shirley tried to calm down. "Then what are you doing?" She asked, although she lowered her voice.

Lelouch couldn't really shrug, but he made the motion as well as it was possible. "Victor was worried about Kallen's absence, so we went looking for her. Turns out she had gone out to catch some fresh air, but just as we were about to leave, she collapsed on us. I sat to support her, and Victor was about to go for help when Kallen said that it was unnecessary and she'd be fine in a minute. So we waited, Victor taking my other shoulder, and then both of them fell asleep on me!" His tone was clearly annoyed.

Shirley, now pacified, gave Kallen a worried look. "Is she okay? Shouldn't we call a doctor?"

Lelouch smiled at her, causing Shirley to blush. "It's good to see that you worry, but I checked her pulse three times already. It's not what you and I have, but considering its Kallen, it should be somewhat normal. I think that once she wakes up, she'll be fine."

Shirley frowned. "Right now it's warm with the sun shining, but it will get pretty cold later on, what if you catch a cold?"

Lelouch gave her another smile, although this one had a bit of pity in it. "You don't really think that I'm going to let them sleep until tomorrow morning, do you? I'll give them an hour, maybe two, then I'll wake them up."

Now that Milly accepted there was no threat to their, but especially Kallen's, health, she went back into teasing-mode. "So Lelouch, you've been made pillow? Mind if I take a nap as well?"

Shirley blushed. "Madam president!" She exclaimed in shock.

Milly gave her a sly grin. "Or maybe Shirley wants to take the free spot instead? In that case, I'll surrender it to you of course."

Shirley blushed even more, making her hair look strangely pale when seeing her face. "That's not funny! Madam president, please stop kidding around."

Milly feigned innocence. "Whatever are you talking about Shirley? I asked a serious question."

Lelouch looked at her. "If you're so serious, how about carefully lifting these two so I can get up?"

Shirley moved towards Kallen, but Milly held her back with a gesture. "No no Shirley, Lelouch played gentleman, and now he will live with the consequences. If they're still here at dusk, we'll help, but right now, there's nothing for us to do. So make yourself comfortable, you'll be here for a while. See you tomorrow."

Lelouch sent her a glare. "Tyrant."

She shrugged. "I'm me, and you should know me by now."

Shirley was not happy as she was practically dragged away. "But madam president, we should..."

Milly shook her head and waved a hand in front of Shirley's face. "President's orders, we leave them. Don't worry, Victor is still there, so nothing improper will happen."

Shirley frowned, but she was dragged off before she could act on her beliefs.

Lelouch waited five minutes, then he was sure they were gone. "Kallen, they're gone, you can get up now."

He got an unexpected answer. "Zzzzzzz."

His eyes widened as he sweat-dropped. "She actually fell asleep?" He looked at V.V. "Don't you have anything to... you have got to be kidding me." The sweat-drop doubled in size.

V.V. was also asleep! It seemed that all the sleep they had missed with their hard work for the Black Knights had finally demanded their worth, and he knew that while he could wake those two, they really deserved some sleep, seeing that they didn't really have anything left to discuss. That, and Kallen might instinctively attack him if he woke her up, and he was in no mood for further pain.

So he did the only thing he could do. "Ah, what the hell." He closed his own eyes, and within seconds, he fell into the most peaceful slumber he had had in years.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the base of the Special corps, Lloyd was in a good mood. Why, you ask? Simple, he could do a lot of fun research with the Lancelot, that despite having a newer and theoretically superior sibling, still produced better results than anything else, including the Vincent. Lloyd, when asked, would accredit that to the sheer superiority of the Lancelot's pilot, Suzaku Kururugi. Sure, that noble brat that now defiled Lloyd's Vincent was better, much better, than anyone would have given him credit for, but he was no Suzaku. Nope, there was no pilot like Suzaku. Except maybe... the pilot of that red machine. Lloyd would have gladly sacrificed a leg or two if it meant he would get that red machine plus pilot, but wishful thinking never helped. So he would simply let Suzaku work twice as hard, although it was frustrating that after all the work Lloyd had put into the Vincent, he was now unable to conduct proper tests with it, as it was currently involved in another terrorist-cell-extermination, and had been ransacked by some other part of the military that had made it clear that the only times Lloyd would get his hands on the Vincent would be when he had to fix it, but since they sent him the data, on Schneizel's direct order, Lloyd was not too angry. He had even started to tinker with his Club while he waited for those petty nobles and royals to finish playing with _his_ toys. Not that he minded the field-testing, but those ape-brained imbeciles always broke the stuff in their silly war-games.

Cornelia had, even after the intervention at the harbor and much to the frustration of most nobles, Lloyd being one of the few exceptions, held onto her decision to eradicate all other terrorists, if she could, before she'd turn her undivided attention to the Black Knights. The whole thing was terribly confusing. Zero shooting Clovis in Shinjuku when his troops went on slaughter, Zero saving Euphimia when the JLF decided to go on a slaughter, and now Zero saving Cornelia when she was trying to slaughter him, a deed few would go through with. But Lloyd had never been very interested in politics, keeping just enough tabs on things to not accidentally do something that might get his lab shut down, so he really didn't care about Zero. Well, that wasn't quite correct, he actually liked the man, despite him giving minor damage to the Lancelot, since the masked enigma gave him not only the chance to push his creations to their limits, no, his actions also convinced those stupid politicians to give him more funds so that he could design something that was able to take Zero out. What a great guy.

But that was only part of the reason for his good mood. No, what really raised his mood was the thought of what was waiting for him in the fridge of the kitchen. He hummed a happy tone. "Pudding, marvelous pudding, wait for me, I will get thee, and then I'll be happy eternally."

Then his nostrils picked up something. "Weird, what's that smell? Burnt rubber? No, it's similar, but not quite. Where is it coming from?" He shrugged and moved on. Then he noticed an irregularity. The kitchen door was only leaned. It was always closed, for good reasons, but now it was halfway open! Lloyd walked closer, and looked into the kitchen.

The sound that escaped his lips was similar to the ones made by men who just received a harsh blow to their crown-jewels. What he saw was amongst his worst nightmares, and he had to use all his mental strength not to whimper or break down in tears, although a few were still running down his face.

In the kitchen he saw Cecile, wearing a apron and mixing what anyone could tell by smell alone would not be edible. But that was not why he felt tears run down his cheeks. Next to a large mixing-pot, undoubtedly the source of the stench, lay three small, empty, plastic containers. Lloyd instantly recognized them. Those were the containers for his pudding! All three that he had brought for the day were gone, vanished into the horrible abyss that was Cecile's cooking. Some people simply should be by order of the Royal Court, or better yet, the Emperor himself, from ever entering a kitchen, and Cecile was one of those people. While most of Cecile's attempts at cooking were merely... unusual, there were days, and the smell coming from that kitchen clearly stated that today was one of those days, where her cooking went so awry not even the most generous people or the most screwed-up taste-buds could that the results food.

While his pudding would be properly mourned later, now another part of Lloyd's mind that he had long presumed gone assumed control, his survival-instincts. He had to get away quickly, silently and NOW, or he'd be forced to serve as a guinea-pig that newest catastrophe-on-a-plate.

Once he was out of earshot, Lloyd leaned against the wall, and cried his heart out. "My pudding, my wonderful pudding, why? Why must this happen? What have I done wrong? WHYYY?!"

* * *

The researchers and engineers exchanged worried looks. A second ago, Lloyd had, obviously upset and filled with displeasement bordered on panic, called them all together.

Now, what one must understand was that there were universal laws, that will always be true unless all was going to hell. One of those rules was: Lloyd Asplund is always calm and relaxed. There had been only one occasion where Lloyd Asplund had lost his cool. At that time he had visited the laboratory of a colleague that had been working on improved battery-packs for Knightmares, although he had gone one step further and built a miniature-reactor that was supposed to keep the machine running for years. Lloyd had smiled, read through the data of the reactor's activities he had been given, and paled. His smile had vanished faster than a request for equality in the royal administration. He had shouted "EVERYBODY OUT! NOW!", before grabbing Cecile and dragging her away as fast as he could. Twenty seconds later, the reactor exploded, killing anybody who had been dumb enough to ignore the warning.

Therefore, it was a universal law. Lloyd Asplund is relaxed. If he isn't, run for your life. So now the question burning on all lips was: What was wrong? Had someone eaten his pudding? Were there any problems with the nobles? What could be so bad? Did something happen to their sponsor, prince Schneizel? Was their funding cut? Did Godzilla rise out of the sea to attack Tokyo? Was the apocalypse coming?

Lloyd glared at his workers. "Who let Cecile into the kitchen?"

It was worse.

* * *

The next day, after breakfast and a harmless day of school, Lelouch headed to the next meeting of the Student Council that Milly had just, spontaneously as always, called out. He remembered the last day. After a refreshing nap of roughly two to three hours, he woke up just in time to see the setting sun, wake up V.V. and telling him to wake up Kallen, something that had, unsurprisingly, ended in pain for the young immortal when the shocked girl instinctively lashed out at him, giving him a hit square on the eye, that thankfully healed before the eye had a chance to blacken. Kallen had actually apologized, although it was clearly not heartfelt. And why should it be? The boy annoyed her on a far too regular basis, and it was not like he would feel it ten seconds after it happened.

What surprised Lelouch was that Milly was waiting for him, a sweet smile on her face. Lelouch had learned to never trust a Milly that made such a face. "Lelouch, there's something I want to show you!" She practically shoved something into his face. He took a step back and grabbed it. He froze. It was a photo, but not any photo. It was a photo of him, Kallen and V.V., leaning against each other under that tree, while what had to be the evening-sun painted everything in a warm glow. What made the picture, as Milly had already realized, grade A blackmail was the fact that all three had a peaceful smile on their faces, even if their eyes were closed.

Lelouch gave Milly a blank look. "What are you scheming?"

Milly smiled with fake innocence. "Oh, I was thinking of putting this on the public board, maybe with a title like _Happy Family_, since we have a mother, a father and a child."

Lelouch shook his head. "Bad idea Milly. If this gets out, we're all screwed."

Milly frowned. "What makes you say that?"

Lelouch looked at her. "Think about it. If this lands on the net, and we both know it will, as all pictures of me seem to land on the net," He remembered those pictures from the cross-dresser's ball, that the photography-club had given its own website. A few days after they had put the site up, someone hacked it and uploaded a virus that trashed the entire page and rendered it unrepairable and beyond all salvaging, while the budget of said club strangely shrunk to mere pocket-money for a few months. Lelouch of course had no idea how that had happened, even though the lion's share of the paperwork landed on his desk, courtesy of Milly. "then Kallen is going to go through hell because of those thrice-cursed fangirls. And did you forget that there are people looking for Victor? And those people just might get interested in who the wanted boy is leaning on, and we both know that my and Nunnaly's cover won't withstand a thorough investigation, which in turn will be the final nail in the coffin for the Ashford-family."

Milly's look was serious. "I know Lelouch, and I'm not stupid enough to risk everything for a little fun." She grinned. "Of course, this is still prime blackmail, and just because I can't publish it, doesn't mean that I can't use it in the student-council. In fact, Victor gave a similar reasoning to yours while Kallen simply begged me not to show it to anyone."

Lelouch's calm mask slipped. "So... essentially you just wanted to watch me squirm, is that it?"

Milly nodded. "Yup. Now come in, you're the last one."

* * *

Lelouch sat on the couch beside V.V., who wore a face that seemed to be a mixture of exhaustion and satisfaction. The meeting would begin in ten minutes, as Milly wanted to work on her speech. Lelouch looked at his contractor. "So, I heard Milly got a rise out of you with that photo as well?"

V.V. nodded. "I nearly panicked until she told me she never had any plan of actually publishing it."

Lelouch nodded. "Milly is unique. At least, that is the hope of humanity. I really doubt the universe could handle two of them."

V.V. chuckled. "That picture could have brought hell down on us."

Lelouch shrugged. "Between all of us, Kallen would be best off, although my unwanted fans would make life hell for her. They don't like it when I smile if alone with a girl, and we all had very peaceful looks on our faces."

V.V. smiled. "And is that not fine?"

Lelouch blinked. "What?"

Another shrug. "We are in a war, and soon hell will come down on our heads anyway. These few moments of peace, are they wrong? I ask you, prince of lies, was the peace you felt yesterday fake?"

Now Lelouch smiled. "No, that moment was real. You who is master of those who bend the truth, this time I agree. The path of carnage that we carve is being walked, by us and those who follow us. Peaceful moments will soon be rare, so those that we do have should be cherished. After all, are not those moments what we draw our strength from? Is it not our deep wish to return a happier time to us that drives us forward? Is it not the wish to meet friends once more, to be united with one's beloved, that brings a man to face and surpass all that will stand in his path? Is it not our wish to stand tall, happy in a world that does not look down on us what drives us to give it our all? But enough philosophy, the message can be summed up in a simple sentence: Enjoy the peaceful times while they last, for soon, we will have few of them."

V.V. smiled. "Indeed, it seems that all hope is not lost on you, well, unless we're talking about piloting."

Lelouch's brow twitched. "Would you just give it a rest already? It's just not funny anymore, it never was. Anyways, do you know what the meeting is about?"

V.V. nodded. "Of course, I was the one who made the suggestion that caused this meeting. You see, I figured that with this new threat, we really couldn't afford to have C.C. running around, so I decided to take matters into my own hands. That woman is far too clever to be caught, even if we had ten times as many people, so I decided if we can't find her, then we'll make her come to us. I talked with Milly, and she agreed that it was a fun idea. So, in two weeks, as it'll take that long to organize everything, we'll have her on campus, and at that point, we win her game. Plus, after all the crap she put me through in the time we knew each other, I'm going to enjoy reuniting her and Mao. The chances of her leaving are nil, and that way, the chances of Mao stabbing us in the back are much lower as well."

Lelouch gave him a distrusting look. "What did you do?" He asked, but V.V. just smiled.

"Now that would just ruin the surprise, wouldn't it? Just wait, you'll see in a minute." True to his word, Milly called them all in.

Lelouch was a bit worried when he saw the gleam in Milly's eyes, but he calmed himself. "So president, what are you planning now?"

Milly chuckled. "Don't worry, my dear vice-president, it has nothing to do with you or any other council-member. In fact, I've planned a major event, something that will put us at Ashford into the Guinness-book of records."

Shirley looked at her. "So, you're planning on going into the annals of history by hosting the world's biggest party?"

Milly grinned. "Of course, but first, we'll make the world's biggest pizza."

* * *

Chapter 19 is complete. Took longer than I'd planned, but it's also longer than I'd planned, so it all evens out.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY! I hope you like your presents, both the ones you get and mine, these updates. I'll tell you this much, I was really pressured to get them all done, and I fear that some parts may have suffered under that strain, though I hope the results are still readable. Enjoy these chapters I updated, for I'm afraid they'll be the last for the next few years. I have been given a difficult and dangerous task that will take me to places I didn't know existed, far away from any internet-access or any other comfort of civilization. Wish me luck, there is a chance that I don't return, for I have been ordered to clean my room.

All jokes aside, I haven't cleaned the place in like a year, and there's no internet for me until it's done, so don't expect anything else from me this year. If you don't hear from me in the next few months, I have probably passed away, buried by an avalanche of stuff I had forgotten existed. So to all my readers I give you this now: HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!

Well, not sure what to say here. First of all, no, this pizza-event will not have the declaration of the SAZ in it, that will probably happen in some different event that Milly will undoubtedly plan. And I searched for a bit of information online and found out that Milly only made the pizza because _"someone"_ sent her a letter asking for it. Three guesses who. Anyways, since C.C. obviously can't do it, I considered dropping the whole pizza-thing, until I got a better idea. We all know that C.C. would choose pizza over hiding ten out of ten times, so why not use it to draw her out? Lelouch obviously wouldn't know her well enough, so that plan would have to be devised by V.V., who has known her for decades. Personally, I wouldn't be too surprised if it turned out that's how they caught C.C. in canon.

And I learned that writing relaxing stuff while under pressure is harder than it sounds. Okay okay, I'll admit, my fault for putting myself under pressure, but cut me some slack here, I'm just a mere mortal, just like the rest of us. I apologize, I realize that this is not the best chapter I ever made, but honestly, the roomcleaning-part was the truth, and I won't have any access to write until January, so I really wanted to give one more chapter before I'm going into complete withdrawal. Please bear with me, the next chapters will be better.

Well, again, I have no distinctive questions to ask, so I'll just start replying to the reviewers.

To Blaid: I carefully weighed all options, and I'm afraid I'll have to decline. First of all, my story has progressed too far for me to add a character with such political power like a full brother that wants to make him king, and also, their abilities are a but too overpowered to fit into my story. I thank you for your offer, but it just wouldn't work.

To Trayus: No, Lelouch didn't say he's of the Royal Family, he's not suicidal. He described the situation, making it sound like they were the disgraced children of a nobleman and a commoner. And Rolo's presence is too much of a unexpected twist for Lelouch to consider it a victory. And Mao will probably get some screen-time next chapter.

To nequam-tenshi: I have good news for you. I have found a way to bring Anya into Area 11, before the fight for Japan's independence. Direct your thanks to All That Is Left Unsaid, since he wrote me a PM that gave me the ideas I had been looking for. And there are still independent nations that are not part of the Big 3, although their numbers are constantly shrinking. Australia would be a good example.

To Lord Edric: It's not quite that bad, but he is feeling pretty miserable. Don't forget, he has no precious bonds that would make him go past his limits to accomplish something.

To All That Is Left Unsaid: First of all, thank you again for your input, your PM gave me a few ideas. Right now I'm a bit stressed, but once I've calmed down (and am released from my cruel and unneeded punishment), your ideas will be a big help. That's not saying I'm going to use all your ideas just as you wrote them, as that would not only be boring for you, but also conflict with my ideas. Still, I can't thank you enough for your help so far. And you're right, I forgot to mention that, but Rolo returned the VARIS, as he had already heard that against the Guren, it didn't work and to extend a Geass large enough to catch it when it was so far away was more than Rolo initially wanted to do, and after Kallen hit him with her Geass, there wasn't much point in using a gun against someone you can't see. Another thing, do you mind giving me a few hints (like the address), to those forums? I've tried looking for it, but either I'm stupid or there's something wrong with my browser, since I only found useless stuff.

To Worker72: Point taken, but there are a few differences between Marianne and Kallen. First of all, Kallen is easier to read, as she is more to-the-point, not scheming like Marianne, hiding in another girl's body, never making a move until the time is just right. The most important difference is that, unlike Marianne whose bond was with C.C., Kallen is in a contract with V.V., and we all know how much that boy cares for what's his. Under those conditions, I don't think he'd mind too much if Lelouch and Kallen bonded, since their both bound to him. And don't forget, V.V. initially didn't mind Marianne bonding with Charles, he merely got jumpy when he noticed that Marianne, who was bound to C.C., someone who even V.V. couldn't really make sense of, caused changes in Charles that effectively threatened their brotherly partnership and their vow. Since Kallen has no interest nor intention of doing anything that would go against V.V.'s plans, there would be no reason for him to kill her.

To DarkJackel: You're right, there will be many consequences resulting from that action, one of them greater support for the Black Knights, but as for your further questions, let's just wait and see.

To jcogginsa: Actually, it has been strongly hinted that Nunnaly's blindness was caused by Charles's Geass, similar to how Lelouch's permanent Geass was sealed away with his memories. And even if Nunnaly's blindness is, as you said, mental, that doesn't mean that she would immediately see if she opened her eyes. In such cases, the eye properly sends the information, which is the part that Kallen can manipulate, strengthening or weakening the signals, but the brain subconsciously rejects them, which means that even if Nunnaly opened her eyes, her brain would tell her that there are no signals coming from the eyes, meaning all she would see would be blackness. If it was a simple matter of opening the eyes, don't you think Lelouch would have opened them for her on a more regular basis so that she can see certain things, like flowers, paintings or beautiful scenery? Actually, there are many blind people that choose to keep their eyes closed, as there is no real point in opening them if it won't matter anyways.

Well, I said all I will for this year, so

Please Review


	20. The Storm approaches

Chapter 20

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass.

* * *

Lelouch felt his brow twitch. "Run that by me again. We're doing _what?_"

Milly gave him a serious look. "We're making the world's biggest pizza. It was Victor's idea really, and it sounds like fun. Also, we go down in history as those who did it!" She sounded giddy.

Lelouch sighed. "More like the ones who had both the resources and the madness to pull it off." But he knew he was beaten. Shirley would be on his side when he said it was stupid, both because the idea was ludicrous and simply because it was _his_ side. Rivalz would have jumped off the school's roof if Milly asked him to, so he was obviously with her, no matter what nonsense she pulled out of that twisted mind of hers. Nina would probably keep out of it, she didn't like to be involved in such things and was hammering into her laptop.

But Lelouch noted she kept glancing at V.V., who gave her cheery smiles whenever he noticed it. That boy loved to make useful connections, and emotional bindings were harder to break, although much more troublesome once broken.

Back to the topic, that left Suzaku, who was actually present for once, V.V., Kallen and maybe Nunnally. Lelouch hoped that Milly wouldn't use Nunnally against him, even he'd be unable to resist Milly's stupid plans if Nunnally sided with her. Kallen would keep up her timid act and would simply be overrun by Milly. V.V. had suggested the whole thing, so it was not very likely he'd voice complaints, and Suzaku's expression clearly stated that this entire situation was beyond his comprehension, so he was likely to withhold his vote as well, not wanting to offend anyone.

A somewhat ironic stance considering the many feet of his countrymen he'd stepped on, both with his enlistment and when he decided to pilot the Lancelot and not do the sensible thing, use it to the advantage of his people. Not that Lelouch would have wanted him to drive the thing away to the nearest rebel-hideout or Kyoto, not to mention that he could have used it, by all means. Suzaku was no good to anyone if he got himself killed by the military in such a stupid act. No, Lelouch would have been perfectly happy at minor sabotage, overlooking rebels or botching up something to the advantage of the Japanese. But no, the idiot had apparently actually taken those vows he'd taken when enrolling into Britannia's army seriously. Come on! Everybody knew such vows weren't worth the air it took to make them, only one idiot had somehow managed to not get the memo. And to make matters worse, it had to be this particular highly dangerous idiot of all people! One of the few people Lelouch couldn't, or rather wouldn't, geass into opening his eyes to reality, handing out the Lancelot, or simply jumping off a cliff.

And even if everyone took his side against Milly, it would still be no use. Just like Britannia, Ashford Academy was not a democracy. Nobody could order Milly what to do or not do and expect to be obeyed. Technically they could, but then they would be delusional. Well, Nunnally might, even Milly couldn't resist his sister's aura. But she wasn't here, so their fates were sealed.

"I give up. I know that gleam in your eye, and all my objections would be brushed off at this point and only lead to further humiliation along the road. So I cut my losses and agree, on the condition that I'm excused from any activities besides organizing. I have some plans too, you know."

Milly frowned. That went against so many of her schemes that she felt a small tear form in her eye, but she decided to cut him some slack. She still had plenty of time to humiliate him outside of that one festival. She sighed. "Farewell kissing booth, it was a wonderful dream."

Lelouch's brow twitched harder. "No, it wasn't. And such a booth I reject as vice-president, prostitution of any kind is forbidden on Ashford-grounds, as your grandfather clearly stated in the school's rules. And yes Milly, that counts."

The busty blond pouted. "Spoilsport."

A shrug answered her. "Well if I don't make sure I get some peace, nobody will, and we all know that you'd cut off a foot before giving me some peace and quiet when you can avoid it."

Milly gave him a mock-glare. "You make it sound like I'm some sort of evil mastermind."

Lelouch gave her a deadpanned look. "Evil yes. Mastermind? I'm not entirely sure on that one, but evil? Definitely."

Even Milly had to laugh at that. She shook her head. "Fine, you win. My loyal subjects, begone for now." She made a shooing gesture, signaling the meeting was over. The others filed out one by one, both Lelouch and Kallen glancing at V.V., intending to question the boy at the first opportunity.

* * *

"Okay V.V., now that we're alone, answer. A giant pizza of all things? How is that supposed to help?" Lelouch asked.

V.V. chuckled. "It's all to lure the other immortal C.C. Here. Once she hears of this, she'll come to us."

Kallen stared. "For a pizza? You expect her to come out of hiding for a _pizza_?! Who would do that?"

V.V. shrugged. "Bait is for the fish, not for the fisherman. She'll come. C.C. is obsessed with pizza. In fact, I recall one event, shortly after she had left the Directorate, when nobody could find something she hid, or more likely just left somewhere. So I organized a pizza-convention and guess what? She strolled right through the door. And after two hours and fifteen pizzas she finally told me where the damned thing was." He grumbled that last part, before blushing and clearing his throat. "Anyways, that woman has very odd priorities. You could put a stack of pizzas on a land-mine in full view, paint EXPLOSIVE MINE in neon-bright colors on it and she'd still trigger the thing."

Lelouch rolled his eyes. "You exaggerate."

V.V. shook his head, a strange gleam in his eyes. "Actually, I did that. Worked like a charm, and it took care of a lot of pent-up frustration."

After getting over their shock, Lelouch and Kallen shared a knowing glance before the boy stated "I know what you mean. You have no idea just how much better I felt after I shot you in the head." Kallen snickered.

V.V.'s brow twitched. "As I said to Charles zi Britannia back before he made emperor, shut your trap or I shut it for you. Ever heard the saying 'Open mouth, insert foot'?"

Now the two stared in disbelief. Kallen found her voice first. "You told that to the emperor's face? And he didn't maim you?"

The blond immortal shook his head. "Nope, no consequences for me. And he wasn't the emperor back then." He frowned in thought. "On the other hand, it's not like I acted any different towards him after his coronation, so yeah, I probably said something like that to the emperor, on multiple occasions."

Kallen and Lelouch exchanged looks. Kallen shook her head. "The brat has guts, I'll give him that. And the biggest set of balls I've heard of."

Lelouch shrugged. "Or he's just not that worried about them since they regrow." They both chuckled while V.V. gave a huff.

Kallen looked at V.V.. "Do you have such an Achilles-heel as well?"

V.V. thought about it. "There are some things I particularly enjoy. Coke, a good coffee, a fine wine when the occasion calls for it, and my hobbies. But not to such an unhealthy extreme as C.C.. When faced with a choice between any or even all of the things I've just listed and my freedom, I'm going to be over the hills before you can say 'Speedy Gonzales'."

Lelouch chuckled, then he got serious. "Anyways, we'll see if this pizza-thing works. Personally I have my doubts, but if it works I sure as hell won't complain. Is there anything else that we should discuss?"

Kallen thought about it. "This Mao-guy. Where is he now?"

V.V. looked up. He hated being out of the loop. "Good question. Lelouch?"

Said boy gave them another shrug. "I thought he should make himself useful, so I sent him on a little spying-mission. Nothing really risky, but it may provide useful information."

V.V.'s brows shot up. "Do tell."

Lelouch waved him off. "Not much to tell. I got him a hair-dye he can wash out once it served its purpose, some new and less conspicuous sunglasses, sent him and Minami to Willerbee's for suits."

Kallen blinked. "Why did you do that?"

Lelouch smiled. "Well..."

* * *

Mao sat in a restaurant, glancing around through his new sunglasses. Lelouch had bought them for him, and they looked stylish and gave him a somewhat cool look. He wondered if C.C. would like it. Indeed, nobody who knew him would have recognized Mao the way he looked now. His hair, now a dark black instead of his usual grayish white, was combed back, a generous portion gel ensuring it stayed there. He wore a suit in which he felt uncomfortable, but he couldn't deny he looked dignified. His headphones being replaced by the headphones of an I-POD, which drew less attention, although it was still playing C.C.'s voice. Well, the Germans had a saying, _"Kleider machen Leute"_, which fitted this situation. The clothes really did make the man, as that Japanese the boy had sent with him proved. Wait, since when did he know German? Oh, that's right, he didn't. The man two tables to the left did. Sometimes it was a pain to be a mind-reader.

Lelouch had told Minami he was there to keep an eye on things, namely if anyone gave them odd looks and serve as backup while Mao had a look around, but in reality, the man was only there so that Mao could focus completely on his mind while traveling, allowing him to block out all the other voices even while walking through a crowd. Mao had already used that tactic to follow Lelouch to Ashford, not to mention stay there without going banana. The man looked pretty smart himself, although his uniform leaned more to the butler/bodyguard-category than his own businessman-looks. And that was good, as their cover for being here was that he, Mao, was a businessman waiting for a partner that would not show up, while this Minami would be his attendant. This also allowed Mao to boss him around a bit, which did wonders for the Geass-user's mood.

They were sitting in a little but high-class restaurant, right across from the government-building, making them look even less out of place, as locations like these were commonly used for meetings, and getting dumped on such meetings was also not rare enough to be recalled by the waiters. The road to the government was lined with such eateries that were frequently used by those working there, and it was not rare for these people to slip out of the building during breaks to have a bite to eat. Cafeteria-food, no matter how good, was still cafeteria-food, and most nobles, curiously the largest faction in the government, thought it beneath them to dine with their secretaries and other common filth if it could be avoided.

So as long as Mao didn't cause too much of a ruckus while 'waiting', they would be forgotten minutes after they left. Mao's fingers tapped on the table, while he looked around, as if looking for someone. He was, namely for important-looking people to skim through their minds. He had gotten a few things, but so far nothing really important. He glanced at Minami, who, in accordance with their cover was standing behind him, looking around cautiously. Bodyguards and servants were also sights the waiters were used to, so as long as Mao didn't have the Japanese man feed him, there would be no second glances. Then Mao decided to do something nice for a change, although he had to phrase it insulting, not only to keep his cover, but because it was funny to make people pull out their hairs.

"Sit down already, you're pacing around is annoying." He hissed.

Minami gave him a startled look, before hastily sitting down, of course beside him, keeping the seat opposite to Mao free.

A few men walked into their restaurant and Mao pushed up his sunglasses. A short sweep through their minds, and... yes, they were important. At least in their little world, but they had some high ranks and fancy titles, so Mao focused more, looking for something that'd satisfy the brats enough so that they'd hurry up and find C.C. already. The boy V.V. had hinted that he was working on something, but it wasn't going fast enough for Mao's taste.

'Well what have we here?' Mao had hit payday. Military secretes and a few planned operations. And another interesting thing, but not that important. Still, he had enough for today, the crowd was making him twitchy. "How late is he?" He asked Minami. It was a code to tell him that he felt it was time to leave.

Minami pulled out a watch. "4:37 PM, _sir_." That last word came out a little strained, but Mao didn't care about the man anyways. He was just someone whose mind he had to leave intact so that he could go looking for C.C., nothing more. Still, Mao had information, and was tired of sitting around sipping cappuccino.

"He's more than two hours late, that's enough! We're leaving." He waved a waiter, paid his bill and a small tip, and left.

Once they were in the limousine Lelouch had arranged, Mao threw himself in the back, laying down, loosening that horrible tie and letting Minami drive. He himself didn't have a license, having seen no use in getting one. Then again, maybe C.C. would like to drive with him, he'd read out of many teenage girls' memories that driving in an open cabriolet was supposed to be very romantic. Mao added it to his to-do-list.

Minami glanced at him. "What were we doing? We completely wasted our time."

Mao shook his head. "Quite the opposite. Today was very informative."

Minami blinked. "Are you trying to tell me you somehow got information simply by looking at people?"

Mao laughed and clapped his hands. It had been annoying to not do that in the restaurant, but Lelouch had insisted. And you don't argue with the man who runs your search-team while you still need them. "That's right. I got lots of information out of today. That's why Zero hired me, after all."

Minami was skeptical. "How much can you learn from a glance?"

Mao looked around and saw a nobleman tailed by a female secretary. He pointed at them, the colored glass making him invisible to those outside of the car, having searched through both minds. "That man is a nobleman, obviously. He used to work in Clovis' inner circle, but was demoted when Cornelia took command and investigated every man's background for traitors, clearly visible by the difference in color and peculiar shape of the dissonance on his jacket, his insignia being recently removed. He is married, as you can see from the tan-line on his ring-finger, and the way he carries himself. Nobles wear other kinds of rings when divorced to not seem pathetic in front of their peers. By the way he glances around when he thinks nobody's looking, he's partaking in illegal operations to reclaim his post. Oh, and he screws the secretary, obvious by the way he looks at her. And from the way she inches away from him and shivers, she hates him and is forced to do so." Of course Mao was spouting high-class bullshit, all his information directly coming from the minds of his victims. Still, Minami sat slack-jawed and drove him in silence.

Mao yawned. He'd report and then hit the sacs, after regaining his old looks. It wouldn't do if C.C. couldn't recognize him.

* * *

V.V. nodded. "I have to say, that was clever. It may have cost a bit, but maybe it will be worth it."

Kallen raised a brow. "Won't Mao drive Minami mad?"

V.V. shrugged. "Some sacrifices must be made. If the information is good enough, I'd personally make sure he lands in a straitjacket. Although you're right of course, there would be men whose loss would hurt less, since we can hardly spare anyone right now. But if I had to choose who to sacrifice, I'd pick Tamaki, except that he would make a scene, and we can't have that now, can we? Mao is too valuable to lose, even if he's nuttier than a bag of squirrel-poop."

Lelouch sighed. "You do realize he will read that out of our minds now, don't you?"

V.V. shrugged, bored. "C.C. called him that on multiple occasions, while he was present. He won't mind. And you got used to having a mind-reader along fairly quickly."

Now it was Lelouch's turn to shrug. "You'd be amazed what people can get used to. I always send my sanity on vacation when the talk starts heading towards Geass."

Kallen gave a smirk. "That explains a lot."

Lelouch gave her a look. "Tell me Kallen, who is worse? The lunatic or the one that willingly follows him?"

"Touché." Kallen laughed and shook her head. Their banter had become more friendly with time, and she no longer felt the urge to slam the boys' heads into the wall. Well, at least not all the time. "You think Mao got anything?" She asked, changing the topic.

Lelouch nodded. "Oh, I'd be rather disappointed if he didn't. After all, those little bistros are crawling with high-ranks. The only question is, is there anything we can really use? Rolo is a large problem, and I'm kinda hoping to get him on our side, to be honest. He'd make a great ally, and he might give us an edge if we have to defend free Japan from the Rounds and the brunt of the Britannian army. Still, I have no idea on how to get him."

Kallen paled. She had never really thought about what would happen after they reclaimed Japan, but now that Lelouch mentioned it, it was highly unlikely that the Britannian emperor would simply part with so much Sakuradite, not to mention the stain it would be on Britannia's image as an invincible power that was impossible to defeat once it's taken root.

No, just after defeat they would be the most vulnerable, and unless something really dramatic happened, they would be attacked. And then, the more power they had behind them, the better off they were.

"You're right Lelouch," Kallen admitted, to both boys' immense surprise. "we need all that we can get to win. I really hope Mao found out something."

* * *

After that conversation, V.V. headed to the computer-room, hoping to find a certain someone. And he was in luck, as he heard the clacking of keys being hammered into a keyboard, and grinned. His target had overheard the hissing of the opening door, too focused on the monitor.

V.V. decided to act his physical age, simply because it was fun and he felt like it. He paused. Doing something just because he felt like it? He wasn't turning into another C.C., was he? The world couldn't take two of her, and even if it could, V.V. had no desire to be the other one. Maybe it was just something that came with immortality, or the Code. Ah well, didn't matter now. He sneaked closer, then he pounced, grabbing a pair of shoulders. "Buh!"

Nina shrieked, then she spun around, sighing in relief when she spotted the blond hair. "Oh its just you Victor. Don't scare me like that."

V.V. laughed. "Sorry, I just couldn't resist. So, any progress?"

Nina nodded, still a bit shyly, but V.V. was working on bringing the girl out of her shell. Really, she could be really great, if not for that xenophobia. V.V. was working on breaking that down, but so far, he hadn't found that chink in the armor he needed to shatter it. Xenophobia was a big hindrance, especially when entering the international stage. Still, he had managed to get her to open up to him, and once they got on the topic of science, she would start speaking so enthusiastically with wide gestures that people who knew her would doubt that this was the same Nina.

"I do have something, but it's more of a hand-held miracle. It should stop an explosion if used correctly, but the window of opportunity is too small to be called a real counter yet. I mean, it would work if the conditions are met, but for that, you'd have to enter the necessary data within nineteen seconds, which is tricky, but the real problem is the second part."

V.V. looked at her. "What is the time-limit there?"

Nina grimaced. "0.04 seconds."

V.V. shared her frown. "Well that's not much. You're right, it would be a miracle if it worked. You'd need a human computer to calculate the data fast enough..." Wait, he had those. Two of them, Lelouch and himself. "...and a superhuman to get it into that small time-frame." He knew there had to be a catch. One of those he didn't have. Kallen was good, but not _that_ good. At least not yet. "It would probably be a desperation-maneuver to use it. Still, for a first attempt, it's not bad. Impressive."

Nina blushed. "Well, we don't even know if it would work even if all the conditions were met."

V.V. nodded. "True, but that's because we don't have more data to study the effects on, which looking at it this way is a good thing. Nobody has a functioning bomb, heck, nobody has a non-functioning one, so it's not like we're on a tight schedule in a race against time with the future of humanity at stake." Weird, why did that comparison come to mind? V.V. shrugged. "We have plenty of time. In fact, I think I read about a device, also not completed, that's supposed to disrupt the electron-flow through Sakuradite. I think it was supposed to be used in generating plants in case of overheating to prevent a Super-GAU."

Nina blinked. "A super-what?"

V.V. smiled apologetically. "Sorry. That word comes from the EU. GAU is a German shortcut for _'Größter Anzunehmender Unfall'_, which translates to 'Biggest Assumable Accident'. It's basically a worst-case scenario. A Super-GAU is a problem that is more dangerous than what was designated as the worst case, for example a power-plant blowing up scattering toxic fumes and materials all over a country. Of course, such a thing is unlikely, but there are things in Sakuradite-powered plants that really shouldn't come in contact with living tissue, and I don't have to explain the destructive capabilities of Sakuradite to you of all people."

Nina shook her head. She had designed something that, if used in a bomb, would cause untold devastation, with Sakuradite as the main component. So yes, she knew exactly how much damage the 'Philosopher's Stone' could cause. She thought about it, then she nodded. "Yes, those might help. They would have to be customized, but as long as the detonation hasn't actually started, it could theoretically disarm the bomb. I'd need data on how it works, though."

V.V. shrugged. "I'll find out what I can." 'Directly from the inventor.' He mentally added, giddy with anticipation.

There were few people V.V. could have a decent conversation with, mainly Lelouch and Kallen. However, neither truly shared his interest for technology and science, so before he discovered Nina's talent, he had been alone with those interests, missing the few online-chats he had had with Lloyd Asplund, or _TheGreatPudding_ as he called called himself online. Cecile, or _C-la-Cuisine_, had also been an interesting. V.V. knew that Lloyd had chosen her user-name, claiming the C. would stand alternately for _Cecile_ or _Chef_, as a tribute to her cooking. That part was true, although the immortal knew that the Earl of Pudding had chosen the C. with the word _Catastrophe_ in mind.

He wondered if that old chat-room was still open, and if it was, how he could arrange it to get Nina and Rakshata in there. Speaking of Nina, the girl looked at him shyly. "Um, Victor?"

"Yes?"

She fidgeted. "I-I-I just wanted to say... Thank you."

V.V. was confused. "For what?"

Nina blushed. "F-For l-listening to me. For helping me. For taking me seriously and not laughing at my ideas."

V.V.'s lip twitched, he sensed an opportunity to get the girl at least a little more out of her shell. "Of course I did Nina, I'm your friend. And it's not just me. Did Lelouch or Rivalz ever laugh at you?"

Nina shook her head, not quite sure where Victor was going with that question. "N-No, Lelouch seems elsewhere with his thoughts, and Rivalz..."

The girl was sharp. "Is a kind-hearted slacker. Did Kallen, Shirley or Milly ever laugh at you?" When Nina opened her mouth, V.V. raised a hand, recalling Shirley's over-friendliness and Milly's... personality. "Let me rephrase that. Did they ever laugh at you with ill intentions? Did anyone on the Student Council ever look down on you?"

Nina thought about it. Milly did on occasion tease her, but on second thought, Milly teased everybody. And as far as Nina knew, there had never been any real malice in that teasing. Well, there was that one time with Lelouch and the stun-gun, but even that had not really done real damage, and Lelouch had forgiven her... two years later. "I d-don't think so, why?"

V.V. smiled. "I was just trying to give you a hint. We on the council, junior-members included, we're friends Nina. If you have a problem, you can talk to all of us. We may not be much help, but we will try. If you have suggestions, say them. Heaven knows we need all the ideas we can get for Milly's pizza-party. She plans to make a public event out of it, I heard her say that we'd throw another festival if it works to celebrate the record when the Guinness-book with our pizza in it gets published." V.V.'s plan was simple. First get her to talk to her fellow Britannians, once that works, start with talking to honorary Britannians, then foreigners, then Numbers. Baby-steps. If he tried to rush it, Nina might withdraw even further.

Nina hesitantly nodded. "Maybe you're right. The festival..." She seemed lost in thought. "Victor, the festival, is public, that means that anyone can come, no matter who he is, right?"

"Well, yes." V.V. replied, hoping this wasn't leading to 'Then E-E-Elevens might be there too! I'm not going!'. His prayers were answered.

Nina seemed somewhat happy. "Then maybe _they_ will come too."

V.V. raised a brow. "Hope you don't mind me asking, but who is _they_?"

Nina blushed again. "I was thinking that Euphemia li Britannia would come. And maybe Kaguya..." The last part was muttered so quietly, that V.V. had barely understood her.

Still, his eyes suddenly gained a gleam not unlike that of a man who finds the winning ticket for the Britannian State lottery jackpot in his wallet. "Kaguya? That name sounds... local."

Nina nodded. "She is an E-E-Eleven. I m-met her at Kawaguchi-hotel. She s-stood up to protect me..."

Great, the stuttering was back. V.V. had hoped that they were past that, but it seemed that her memories were a bit more traumatic than he had expected. Still, inwardly V.V. was cheering. He had finally found the weak-spot in the cocoon of xenophobia the girl had wrapped herself up in, and he would mercilessly pound on it. Then something clicked in his head. 'Wait a minute. Kaguya? Met in the Kawaguchi-hotel? Oh crap, not Kaguya Sumeragi? Well talk about irony. Still, I can use this, and it might actually make things easier in the long run.' Still, he decided to drop the pressure on poor Nina while the girl was still able of somewhat coherent speech. "I see. I hope she comes. As for princess Euphemia, I'd say it's possible. Cornelia is viceroy, Clovis is sub-viceroy, I imagine she has a lot of free time. And Milly's antics are infamous. I'm sure they'll come." And he had to know, having heard of them not only in the homeland, but even the Chinese Federation when he strolled outside of the Directorate.

Nina smiled, and for the first time, she seemed truly happy. "I hope you're right. Goodbye Victor, and please try to find that data."

V.V. nodded. Nina was working hard, even though her plan of giving the bomb to Britannia once she found a counter hadn't changed yet, but he was optimistic that with a few more pushes in the right direction, that too would change. Still, he had had an interesting conversation, and was still hoping for another one once Rakshata finally arrived. Why did transportation of people you really want to see have to take so damned long?!

* * *

Meanwhile, Cornelia was sitting in her room, lost in thought. She couldn't understand it. Why? Why had Zero saved her? It had been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to not only eliminate her, but to also do so while claiming it an accident. He had been aiming for the Landspinner, and not even the Royal Family could blame him if she made a bad choice dodging. Her entire life she had viewed terrorists as cowardly scum who wanted nothing more than to slaughter them all, just like they had murdered Cornelia's idol, empress Marianne. Cornelia's belief had never wavered, as every terrorist she had met had proved her right again and again. But Zero had saved her.

A knock at the door interrupted her sulking. Clovis stepped in, staggering under a giant teddy. Cornelia didn't believe her eyes. "Mister Cuddles?" It had been Nunnally's bear, and Cornelia remembered her favorite half-sister rolling up inside the bear's arms. "How did you get that?"

Clovis placed the bear down. It was more than half his hight, and surprisingly heavy. "You actually remember the name?" He asked in disbelief.

Cornelia blushed. "How did you get it?"

Clovis shrugged. "I was the one who gave it to Nunnally as a birthday present, and after... well, you know, I decided I'd rather keep it as a memento than have it rot on some trash-heap. But I decided that right now, you need it more than I do. And you collect these."

Cornelia's blush increased, Clovis was one of the few that knew of her passion for stuffed bears, not even her knights had an inkling about it. She nodded, embarrassed but grateful. She had so little to remember the vi Britannias, and they had meant so much to her. "So why are you here?"

Clovis shrugged. "Euphie was worried. It's not like you to lock yourself up and sulk. And since you _still_ haven't given her unlimited access to the viceroy's quarters, she couldn't come herself, so she asked the sub-viceroy if he could talk to her. And being the kind person I am, I graciously promised I would, so her I am. The bear is a peace-offering."

Cornelia gave him a mock-glare. "And the fact that my absence has dumped the entire workload on you of course has nothing to do with it, right?"

Clovis laughed nervously. "Whatever are you talking about?" Then he turned more serious. "Want to talk about it? I thought that it might be easier to talk with someone who has gone through something similar."

Cornelia stared at him. She had forgotten that he too had met Zero, and that the masked vigilante had spared his life too. She sighed. "Maybe you're right. I just don't understand it. Why would a terrorist help a member of the Royal Family?"

Clovis sighed. He knew exactly why, and he had been very happy to hear that Lelouch still cared for his family enough to instinctively try´and protect them, even if they were on the enemy's side. Of course, there was no way he could tell Cornelia that. Not only would he betray Lelouch's trust, but Cornelia was too loyal to the crown to leave them live here in peace. She would feel Lelouch and Nunnally were in danger in Ashford and would try to get them back to the homeland, or at the very least under heavy protection, and if that happened, it was only a matter of time before someone wondered why the Witch of Britannia suddenly wasted so many resources to protect a pair of ordinary students and discover the truth. Clovis himself felt no loyalty to the crown, and thought if they had lasted this long in Ashford and were fine, then they'd be fine staying in Ashford in the future as well. Of course, he knew that Zero posed no threat to Lelouch and Nunnally, since the former was Zero. Another thing Cornelia should not learn of in the near future.

"I don't think that Zero truly wants to kill us." He answered. "If you ask me, his hate focuses on the way Britannia is run, and those who support that system are the ones he truly hates. Of course, that means he hates father more than anything in the world, but he does not make us children pay for his wrongs. He respected me for my willingness to take punishment, not for what I did, but what I failed to prevent. And yes Cornelia, I believe that the attempted purge of Shinjuku was one of the most disgusting things that I have ever heard of. Merciless, aimless slaughter, that's all it was, and I don't care how much nobility claims otherwise."

Cornelia was surprised. She herself had ordered the purge of Saitama, intending to lure Zero out, and honestly really only thinking of the capture of the cloaked terrorist, seeing casualties as numbers and financial losses, something Euphie had actually chewed her out for. It had felt weird, for once having Euphie act stern with her. Usually it was the other way around. And here he heard that her other sibling in Area 11 actually agreed with Euphie. "Still, why save me? I was trying to kill him only seconds earlier?"

Clovis looked at her. "I'm not sure. Maybe simply respect for your courage? For being fairly fair? For cleaning up with corruption in Area 11? Or maybe," His voice became sly "he was simply enraptured by your beauty and didn't want your precious face to take damage? He wouldn't be the first to fall to your overwhelming appearance."

Cornelia's brow twitched, and she did something she hadn't done in many years. She grabbed a pillow from her bed and started beating on Clovis with it, who laughed while trying to protect himself with his arms. Suddenly the door opened again, and Euphie stood in the doorway. The other two stared at her.

"How did you get here?" Cornelia asked.

She smiled. "I sneaked past the guards, though I think your knights let me slip through on purpose. But aside from that, that 's really mean!" She pouted.

Clovis blinked in confusion. "What is?"

She grinned. "Starting without me." She grabbed another pillow and started beating it on Clovis, with Cornelia still staring in shock. Then she shook her head, laughed, and raised her pillow as well.

"No fair, I'm unarmed!" Clovis called, before grabbing a cushion and going on a counter-offensive.

Five minutes later all three siblings sat on the floor, exhausted, but laughing. They hadn't done anything so... childish ever since Lelouch and Nunnally had been banished, and it felt good to just let loose.

Euphie smiled at her sister. "So, do you feel better now?"

Cornelia stared at her, before shaking her head. "I can't believe I did that. Yes, I feel better now. And Clovis, if one word of this gets out, I'll make you wish you'd never been born."

Clovis sighed dramatically. "Arg, my plan is ruined. Euphie, you are my last hope. Carry news of this throughout the world, for I cannot. OUCH!" Cornelia had smacked him over the head. "Well, glad to see you're better, sulking really does not suit you."

Cornelia huffed. "I don't sulk!"

Euphie and Clovis glanced at each other. "Of course you don't." They said in perfect synchronization, before dashing out of the room.

Cornelia shook her head, and turned to fix her clothing and hair. As princess of Britannia, she had a reputation to uphold, and it was about time she regained control over the situation. She'd bother with Zero later.

* * *

Ohgi on the other hand was praying to every deity that might listen, wishing that the woman he had found at the harbor would not choose this moment to wake up. He would have simply called an ambulance, but she had muttered Zero's name, in a context that indicated she might know his identity, and that had caught his interest. She had a relatively shallow gash just above her right hip, which he had properly disinfected and bandaged after bringing her to his home, but quickly had found another problem. The woman was soaked in cold sea-water, and was guaranteed to get sick if Ohgi left her in her wet clothing, so he hoisted her onto his bed and began to carefully peel her out of her clothing.

But he wasn't Tamaki, he had respect for the other sex, and didn't want to take advantage of her. Removing her top layers of clothing had been easy enough, it was not that different from male clothing, but once he closed his eyes to not dishonor her, it got tricky. He had turned her so that she laid on her stomach with closed legs, and had to rely on his sense of touch to remove the last pieces of clothing. Getting the panties had been easy, albeit embarrassing, but her bra resisted all his attempts to remove it. He was already uncomfortable, since is closed eyes forced him to focus on his touch, and only too often did that result in him feeling her soft skin and toned body. He kept away from any place that would dishonor her, but it still felt like he was taking advantage of her in her weakest moment. He considered simply letting the damned thing there, but cold, wet clothing on the chest was always a bad idea, especially if the person had been bleeding before. So he grabbed the blanket, pulled it up to the bandages and peeked out of one eye if everything was covered, before trying to open the damned bra with open eyes.

"You have got to be kidding me."

Twenty minutes later he understood it was one of those things that looked like it opened from behind, but was actually held together in the front. He carefully rolled her on her back, stared helplessly at the thing before hesitantly fumbling to open it, still begging the woman to stay asleep. Once it was finally open, he closed his eyes, rolled her on her back, removed the final piece and left the room, voting to sleep on the couch.

Only now did Ohgi's mind register the newly created main problem. "What am I going to do now?"

* * *

Since Lelouch was busy, V.V. had gone to their mobile headquarters alone, waiting for Mao's report. What the white-haired mind-reader had gotten was a even mixture out of garbage, stuff V.V. already knew, and useful information about certain plans that had been developed after V.V. got cut from his main sources of information. In return he told Mao about the plan to lure C.C. into the open. Mao was ecstatic, and left whistling a happy note. Just in front of the door, he remembered something.

"Ah, I almost forgot. It's nothing really important, but one of the people that came to the restaurant was in that princess' inner circle, and he never heard of a Rolo before."

V.V.'s head snapped towards him. "You mean to tell me that Cornelia and the upper brass doesn't know whose piloting the golden Knightmare?"

Mao shook his head. "They think it's the son of some duke." With that, he left, not noticing the young immortal's sudden excitement.

"If that's true..." he muttered. "Yes, we can use this. If my thoughts are correct... We have to find it first, otherwise there's no point..."

"A penny for your thoughts." A new voice rang out.

V.V. looked up and stared into the startling blue eyes of Kallen. "A penny? Girl, those are worth more than you could afford in ten lifetimes."

Kallen rolled her eyes. "Whatever helps you sleep at night. So, what was the muttering about?"

V.V. smiled. "Just something interesting Mao found out. If it's true, then there's a time-bomb in the government, and when it goes off, we could find ourselves with something else we wanted."

Now Kallen was interested. "What would that be? And what bomb?"

V.V. raised a finger and waved it in front of her nose. "Ah ah ah, now that would be telling. You'll find out soon enough. Once I find what I need to trigger it." He muttered, more to himself than to Kallen, who shrugged. She had learned by now that if V.V. clammed up, you weren't getting anything out of him.

"Anyways, have you heard? Our great leader has started taking up contact with the Chinese Federation."

V.V. nodded. Of course he'd heard, he was doing most of the communication. "We're testing the waters. We have no real interest in a real binding with the Federation, but we currently don't have the power to insult them by declining their invitations. What they want is to have Area 11 for themselves. They don't want an independent country, to be blunt, they want the Sakuradite. Everybody wants the Sakuradite. But we might be able to gain something useful out if this, if only information. And the Chinese will be pacified for a while if we offer them a bit more Sakuradite than the last agreement guaranteed them once we have Japan."

Kallen looked at him. "You seem convinced that we will get it, and you make it sound like it'll be soon."

V.V. shrugged. "Cornelia is good, but not good enough for Lelouch and myself. We currently lack good soldiers, but we're working on that. At the rate we're going, we'll might reclaim Japan as early as two years, unless they send someone of high caliber, like Schneizel or the Rounds. No, it's not a question of whether or not we can conquer Japan, the real question if if we can hold it. If we get overrun by Britannia after declaring ourselves free, then the Chinese Federation will probably rush in to _protect_ us. If Britannia wins, things go back to what they were, only worse, if the Federation wins, Japan becomes a puppet. So we really must be able to win while still appearing strong enough to ward off other attackers. We could probably take Japan in a few months, but we'd never be able to hold it, unless it starts raining miracles."

Kallen nodded solemnly. "I'd be happy with Tohdoh and the Four Holy Swords right now."

* * *

Said people were currently huddled behind a corner, waiting for a pause in the rain of bullets, using those short breathers to fire back. Still, things were not looking good.

Tohdoh sighed. "We have no other choice. I will distract them, you use that to escape." A wave of protest followed.

"Colonel no! You can't!" Chiba called out.

"As the oldest one, I should be doing this." Senba stated.

"I'm not afraid of those Britannians Colonel, there's no need for this!" Urabe interjected.

Asahina looked grim. "I object as well, there has to be another way!"

Tohdoh shook his head. "There is no other way, and as your commanding officer, it is my duty to ensure the safety of my men. Also, the Britannians WILL go after me. I order you to escape, do you understand?"

The others looked at each other, none of them willing to part with their leader. Asahina sighed. "Under heavy protest, sir."

Tohdoh nodded. "Noted."

Senba gave him a sad look. "Don't get yourself killed."

"You as well." With that, he turned and ran. Chiba tried to go after him, but Urabe grabbed her arm.

"If you do that, then Colonel Tohdoh's sacrifice will be for nothing!"

She froze, before begrudgingly nodding. "We have to escape. This much we owe the Colonel." They started running. The Colonel's plan had worked, as they encountered only minor resistance that they easily mowed down.

After over an hour of running, ducking and shooting, they had managed to escape into the sewers. "Now that we escaped, what will we do?" Asahina asked.

"First we make contact with Kyoto." Senba decided. "They will be the first to know about the whereabouts of the Colonel. We'll decide on our next steps then."

The other's nodded, it was the best plan they had. Still, nobody expected good news, and nobody was surprised when they didn't receive any.

* * *

Chapter 20 is done. Took forever, but I finished.

I'm not dead! But I had my Abitur, not sure how to explain it in English, but they're really important exams, and I had to prepare. I'm still not out of the woods, but I have a little time before I have to get back to memorizing facts and data. Also, a few ideas didn't leave me alone, so I wrote them down. I'm swamped! Four stories to update, four stories to which I have the first chapters on my computer, and four more in orbit! What is it with the fours haunting me? Still, I'm not sure whether to post them yet, as that would make the time it takes me to update even longer. Anyways, enough of my little non-topic ranting, and enjoy the double-update.

Another chapter with little action. Still, I feel these are important, stories where it's just wave after wave of action are usually pretty bland, and I am laying some ground-work, trying to add more personality to the characters. I may or may not be succeeding, but I feel it is important. And I found use for Mao, hurray me. Next chapter things really get set in motion. If I find the space, I'll try to add the first appearance of the Rounds, although they won't arrive in Area 11 just yet.

Not quite sure what to do with Nina yet. There is potential for her to go both directions, and while I'm leaning towards having her stay, I really haven't decided anything yet. Any suggestions?

I don't have anything I really want to know, well, except for your input and maybe some more ideas, so onto the replies.

To Omnomnom: I agree. I'm going through a lot currently, and back at Christmas, I was, that I'll admit, rushing to get it done, which shows since I didn't notice even though I proofread the whole thing three times. I apologize for the drop in quality and hope that this and the next chapters will be better.

To OBSERVER01: The characters are a maybe, but I'm still hesitant, simply because their Geass doesn't match my self-imposed law that Geass is a mental power.

To Worker72: The idea is not bad, but Clovis doesn't know of Geass, as in this fic, he was not informed on anything concerning Project R, and Lelouch is trying to keep the circle of those that know to a minimum, so he won't tell Clovis yet, which makes the idea impossible to use, sorry.

To All That Is Left Unsaid: Yes, she'll make things difficult, but I'm making some adjustments to MariAnya, that have to be due to changes made in the story. And V.V.'s addictions don't overrule his survival-instincts yet, they might when he's as old as C.C., but right now he's still too young to consider his addictions more important than his life or freedom. And thanks for the tip about the forum.

To Belthasar: Sorry about that, Tokio is how we Germans write Tokyo, so I just wrote that out of habit, I didn't mean to confuse anyone. As I said, my native language is German, not English.

To maleficus-lupus: You didn't read carefully enough, I wrote there were 40 barrels in EACH of the TWO containers, and that the BK took ten out of each, meaning there were 30 barrels per container left, and twenty missing.

To verystrangest: The new ones? No. The old ones? They either have it like Bismark, or were deemed unsuited for some reason or the other, like Nonette.

To magixii: There's always a chance, but it's not very likely.

To Murasaki Tsukimaru: FINALLY! I've looked everywhere for the damned name of that sense, but I just couldn't find it! Thanks for giving me the name, I knew of it, but couldn't use it without knowing the name. It'll be used later, when Kallen doesn't have to be as careful to hide the nature of her power.

That's all for now, so

Please Review.


	21. Preparation and Rescue

Chapter 21

Disclaimer: I don't own CG

* * *

"I'm afraid we have confirmation. Colonel Tohdoh was captured by the Britannian military." Senba stated after he finished reading a letter from Kyoto that had been left in one of the special mailboxes the JLF had set up.

"SHIT!" Urabe punched the wall of the small cellar they were hiding in. Chiba bit her lip, while Asahina simply stared.

Senba sighed. "It gets worse. Apparently the Britannians have decided to execute him."

Now Asahina jumped up. "We have to save him!"

Now Urabe laughed bitterly. "And how do you suppose we do that? We are four hardly armed infantrymen, and woman, against the might of the Britannian military. We don't even have a single Knightmare! If we try to save the Colonel, we will die, simple as that."

"So what do you suggest? That we just abandon him?" Asahina barked.

Urabe was about to give a not very polite answer, when Chiba interrupted. "Was there anything else in that letter? Anything that may help us?"

Senba shrugged. "Not much. Kyoto advises us to contact the Black Knights."

Asahina snorted. "What? Those Robin Hood wannabees?"

Urabe grew thoughtful. "Well, they did try to aid the general, supplying them with not only information and weaponry, but Knightmares. And since we're on the topic of Knightmares, since we don't really have any stable base, they can't send us any support that has a chance of reaching us, so the Black Knights are really the only ones that could lend us some Frames."

Silence reigned after that. It was true. Kyoto was currently strained as it was, having to keep attention off of them, and while many resistance-cells would have happily offered their help to save Kyoshiro Tohdoh, but with the white Knightmare and that new golden one that was systematically crushing resistance after resistance to stop them, and at least one of them would be there for sure, none of them had the firepower to actually succeed. None, but the Black Knights. And rescuing Tohdoh had to be done. Not only was he their colonel and a man they looked up to, he was a beacon of hope for the Japanese, a symbol that Britannia was not invincible. To lose him in the current state of affairs would be crushing.

So they really had no other choice. A weary sigh escaped Urabe's lips. "Did Kyoto tell us how to contact them?"

-0-

Lelouch leaned back in his room. Another day of school over, for a change, no operation was planned for the night, the only thing disrupting his peace was V.V.'s frowning face. "And what rained on your parade?"

V.V. looked up. "Nothing really. But a part of the message Kyoto sent us doesn't sit right with me."

Lelouch raised a brow. He had read it himself, and it seemed to be mainly positive. "So what's the problem?"

The young immortal looked at him, his finger tapping on the desk. "They wrote that they're trying to build another Raikou, and give it to us."

Lelouch blinked. "And? That's not a bad thing."

V.V. rolled his eyes. "No. a weapon is never a bad thing. But the Raikou is a waste of materials. The entire design should be scrapped. It is built on completely wrong principles."

"So what did the JLF do wrong with it that upset you so?" Lelouch asked, now getting interested. V.V. didn't give wrong criticism.

"Nothing." V.V. replied. "What the JLF did was a completely correct usage of a flawed weapon. You see, the idea of a mobile railgun is brilliant, but the Raikou was just not properly thought through. For one, the barrel doesn't allow solid ammunition, it's not designed to fire anything but those pebble-holders. It is essentially a giant shotgun. You've ruined the entire idea of the railgun by using shrapnel ammo. There is little point in a rail-shotgun. A railgun's good point is that it allows the bullet to fly with higher speeds and much further than any conventional weapon. But with a shotgun, the shot goes wild."

Lelouch nodded. "You're saying that the Raikou is the attempt of using a shotgun for sniping. I see the problem. Beyond a certain range, whether or not the shot hits is a matter of luck. Also, the energy each fragment holds is less than what a solid bullet would do, ergo, it doesn't fly as far."

V.V. nodded. "Right. The fact that the Raikou's bullet starts solid, before releasing the shrapnel does reduce the straying, but if there was no force outwards, they'd just fly as a cluster, so range and accuracy suffer. Also, the question of mobility is another issue. It's just strapped on four Knightmares. While that does give it some mobility, it still takes forever to turn. A shotgun requires at least some closeness to the enemy. While it was a great weapon for Kawaguchi, seeing that they placed it in a tunnel where there was simply no room for the enemy to dodge and get around it where it's helpless, the chance that we will fight in long straight tunnels is rather small. Also, its legs are fragile and the very construction makes it unstable. It could explode with as little as knocking it over. Not to mention that the pilots are trapped like rats, as there is no emergency-exit of any kind."

Lelouch nodded. A weapon that would explode and kill its operators if someone toppled it was not a good weapon. "So if you could redesign it, what would you do?"

V.V.'s eyes sparkled, he loved challenges like this. "Let's see. First, I would alter the barrel so that it can handle both solid- and shrapnel-ammunition, the latter being used in tunnel-fights or if a larger numbers of enemies got close. Then instead of Knightmares, I would place that barrel on a more solid platform. Essentially, my Raikou would be more of a tank than a Knightmare. The machine would be smaller without the vulnerable legs, making it easier to hide, and the barrel should be able to turn and with the move aid of hydraulics, allowing it to actually aim at something instead of firing and hoping for the best, and shoot while moving. It should have other weaponry to defend itself when an enemy got too close or came from the wrong side to be shot with the main-barrel. A generous number of Slash Harkens, both for defense and as an aid to reach higher elevation would be a must. Since the classic tank-chains wouldn't be very maneuverable, I would rather use something based on Landspinners, although some chains as backup in case the area doesn't allow normal movement, like in mud or snow. If I can reconstruct my electromagnetical armoring... or perhaps I can at least get that RWS-based shielding to work..."

Lelouch raised a brow. "Color me impressed. You really have thought this through. Maybe you can start on some schematics and send that to Kyoto? Rakshata should arrive sometime tomorrow, perhaps you two can work out this Raikou-tank idea? You already have three notebooks full of stuff you want to share, just add the advanced tank to the list."

V.V. nodded enthusiastically, giddy at the prospect of conversing with one of the few souls on the planet that could keep up with him when he got into the juicy technical details. At that moment, anyone would have mistaken him for a normal, happy child, practically bouncing away to start calculations, sketches and whatever else his mind produced right now.

Except for Lelouch, who couldn't help but shudder as he wondered what monstrosities V.V. and the inventor of the Radiant Wave Surger, or how some of the new recruits had started to call it, the Deep-Fryer, would create when they met. If that shudder was of fear or anticipation, he honestly couldn't tell.

-0-

"And that concludes my report." Rolo finished.

Bartley nodded to himself. "So the reason that Zero was able to disable the Lancelot and princess Cornelia's Gloucester was that they got caught in your Geass. I see."

Rolo lowered his head. "I will take full responsibility for that."

Bartley shook his head. "No need. If the viceroy hasn't noticed anything off, I will not be the idiot to enlighten her. The power of Geass is, per his majesty's orders, top-secret, and there is no reason for Cornelia to learn of it. Onto a more important topic, what can you tell me about that red Knightmare?" Cornelia had restricted all information going to him, so the only thing Bartley knew of the red Knightmare was what Rolo could tell him.

A shrug came from the child-soldier. "Not much. It seems to be built for speed and agility rather than raw stopping-power, equal to the Lancelot and the Vincent in both. It is a close-combat unit, and as far as I have seen, it has only three weapons. The Fork-knife is used to parry weapons such as Gloucester-lances, while a small cannon on the left arm may be used on enemies further away, but those are secondary weaponry. Its main weapon is the right arm, which has, according to Earl Asplund, something called a Radiant Wave Surger installed. I have supplied the report from the Lancelot's pilot, who has encountered it before, and I am able to confirm most of what he described. The newest addition to the machine was added to the head. The device sends out a blinding flash, which robs the victim of his sight for at least five minutes."

Bartley frowned. This newest addition was worrying. "Could it have been a Geass that robbed you of your sight?"

Rolo considered it. "It's possible. Such a Geass would have to either take form of a field, like my own, or be bound to the user's line of sight."

"So V.V. is involved?" Bartley asked. If he could capture the boy, the emperor would reward him greatly.

Rolo's head tilted to the side. "From my personal experience with V.V., I would not think so. It is possible that, should there really be Geass involved, these powers originated from V.V., but that does not mean that he is even in Area 11. A tactic that he would use would be to grant Geass to a few terrorists to cover his tracks and keep our attention on an Area that he has left already. Also, the other immortal C.C. could just as well be the source of the Geass, if it is one."

That was not what Bartley had wanted to hear, but as a scientist, he understood that sometimes you just couldn't get what you wanted and had to make due. "I see. Try to find out if it is a Geass and if not, how they managed to come up with that light. If you can, try to get this... headset."

Rolo nodded and turned to leave, when Bartley spoke once again. "One more thing. For the next week, you and the Vincent will not participate in any military activities. The one you're impersonating is known for being lazy, and we don't need to raise any suspicion about his sudden motivation."

Rolo bowed. "Understood." He said and left, while Bartley turned his attention back to his other project, Kewel Soresi and Jeremiah Gottwald.

There were a number of things he and his team considered doing, too much for one person, but since they had two, they could choose. The only thing limiting them was that Cornelia wanted Gottwald back able, intelligent, and sane, which meant that the operations that had a high chance of doing brain-damage had to be stacked on Soresi.

Then of course there was that machine they were building as a side-project. Bartley had found the designs in the documents of his predecessor and decided to build it. That had also lead to his decision to add the operation necessary to pilot the machine to the list of alterations done to their subjects. Of course, why stop there? He was designing a second machine based on the first. While the first one was more of a defensive, close-range tank, Bartley's machine would be a mobile weapon-platform with the power of a battleship.

The only problem was that for that, he needed schematics and data only Lloyd Asplund had, and the man was as guaranteed to be as willing to part with his data as he was to part with his arms. And as the emperor didn't want a weapon, but immortality, or something that had to do with it, it was not like he could just get an order for the insane earl to hand over the data. No, that would require patience, planning, a little bit of luck, and, unfortunately, time. Lots of time.

-0-

Kaname Ohgi leaned back and relaxed. This was one of the rare moments of peace, and he enjoyed them when he could. The maintenance on their Frames was completed, and now they had entered a phase of relative calm, as all knew it was only a short calm, seeing that the work would start over tomorrow with the newest shipment from Kyoto. Ohgi opened a small lunchbox and had to chuckle at the sight. "Octopus-hotdogs? She shouldn't have."

Nobody knew, but Ohgi currently had a freeloader under his roof, a very unusual one to boot. He still felt odd when remembering their first conversation.

_Flashback_

"_What am I going to do?" Ohgi asked himself for the thousandth time. He had pulled a woman, a very attractive woman, out of the pacific ocean, a good deed done, but if anyone found her in his apartment, unconscious and naked, who would believe him? He should have called an ambulance, especially after noticing she had been grazed by a bullet, but what she had mumbled had kept him from doing so._

_It had sounded as if she knew Zero's identity, and if that was true, Ohgi had two reasons to keep her hidden. One, so that this information would not pass to Britannia, which would be a disaster, and two, because he was curious himself. He trusted Zero with his life, but there was something odd about the man. He was, according to his own words, not Japanese, yet he knew Taizo Kirihara, who shockingly was one of the main-backers of the resistance, on a personal level, and seemed to be trusted by the old fox. Then there were the people he seemed to be able to pull out of his hat on a whim. First the boy that followed him around, who called himself V.V. and possessed knowledge and a behavior that no child his age should have. Ohgi had heard of medical conditions that trapped their victims in the body of children, no matter how old they got, and had wondered if V.V. was an example of this. Then that Mao, a person that creeped everyone out, as he seemed to be able to read minds with how good he could get into other people's heads._

_Of course, the real reason Ohgi was worried was that Kallen seemed to get closer to Zero and his cohorts. Not in the way of adoration, but there seemed to be real trust forming between the two of them, and that worried him. Kallen was Naoto's little sister, and he had promised to watch out for her should something happen to him. Ohgi was a man that took promises very seriously, and Kallen was in some ways the little sister he never had, and just because he was willing to put his life in Zero's hands didn't mean he was willing to do so with Kallen's life. He had, without noticing himself, taken up the role of a protective older brother, despite the fact that Kallen was one of the last people that needed protection._

_A noise pulled Ohgi out of his thoughts. He turned, to see that the woman had woken up. Just great, he just couldn't get a break, could he? "Ah, you're awake. My name is Kaname Ohgi, I found you between the pier and the ocean of Tokyo Bay, and I pulled you out before you'd get washed away."_

_The woman, obviously still dazed, nodded, before looking down at her blanket-covered chest and lifting it up to have a look._

_Ohgi blushed crimson and turned around. "I-I'm sorry about your clothes. They were soaked, and I didn't want you to catch a cold. I was able to undress you with my eyes closed, but..." That was just pathetic! Even though Ohgi knew it was the truth, it sounded ridiculous to his ears! Nobody would buy that! 'Oh kami, if you have any mercy, strike me down now, and spare me the humiliation.' He silently prayed._

"_I'm glad." 'Yeah, I knew she wouldn't believe... "Wait, WHAT?' He hesitantly turned around, relieved to see that the blanket was still covering everything. "Glad?" He asked._

_The woman nodded. "Yeah, of all the people who could have found me, it was someone nice."_

_Ohgi's cheeks invented a new tone of red. "I-I... um... These are some of my old clothes. I don't know if they fit, but it's better than nothing." Oh god, did he really just say that? Ohgi felt the urge to bang his head against the wall. Better than nothing, just how stupid could he get?_

_But the woman was either really dense, or she could really tell that Ohgi was just a shy idiot blabbering. "Thank you."_

_Ohgi swallowed his embarrassment, and tried to focus. "Um, you mentioned something about Zero, can you tell me about it?"_

_The woman frowned. "Zero? Like the number? I don't know... anything. Who am I?"_

_Ohgi blinked. "You don't remember? Nothing? Not even your name?"_

_She shook her head. "Nothing." She confirmed, before looking at him pleadingly, her eyes begging for help._

_Ohgi scratched his head. 'Amnesia. Well, I can't just dump her on the roadside, so...' "I guess it would be best if you stay here for a while. Just until you remember something. It's not safe outside these days, not here in the ghetto."_

_He could practically hear Tamaki whistling and saying 'Smooth, real smooth.'_

_She smiled at him, and Ohgi felt oddly happy. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad._

End of Flashback

A new recruit interrupted his musings. "Ohgi-san, there are some people here who I think you should meet."

Ohgi looked up, and his jaw dropped when he saw that the Four Holy Swords had just entered.

"We would like to request your cooperation in the rescue of Colonel Kyoshiro Tohdoh."

Ohgi blinked. "One moment please." He dialed Zero's number, his mouth oddly dry, desperately hoping that their leader would pick it up.

-0-

Lelouch flipped open his phone. It was a call from Ohgi. "Yes?" He asked.

Ohgi's voice was shaky. "Um, Zero, we have visitors asking for our assistance?"

Lelouch was intrigued. If this was who he hoped it would be... "Visitors?" He asked.

Ohgi seemed very uncomfortable. "The Four Holy Swords. They want our help to..."

"Rescue Tohdoh." Lelouch interrupted, a wide grin on his face. He had been expecting this. Ever since he had heard that Tohdoh had been captured, he had known that the Four Holy Swords would not abandon him, and that there was really only one group that had the means to free him. For that reason, he had asked Kyoto to add the Knightmares designed for Tohdoh and his best men to their delivery. "Of course we will do so, it would be a crime to allow such a man to die."

Ohgi seemed relieved. "Understood Zero. Shall we prepare for a full assault?"

Lelouch shook his head, ignoring the fact that Ohgi could not see the gesture. "No Ohgi. That would be counter-productive, as the men would only hinder each other. A small strike-force will be better suited, while others will sow a bit of chaos with other operations. And I think I know four people who would be perfect for the spearhead of that strike-force."

-0-

V.V. smiled when Lelouch gave him the okay-sign, telling him that the Four Holy Swords had finally shown up. Now at least some plans were back on track. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't start designing his Raikou-tank just yet. In that way, V.V. was a perfectionist. If he didn't have at least an idea how large a certain part, in this case the RWS-defense, would be, then he wouldn't work on the machine that the part would go in.

Instead, he tried to figure out just where Rolo had hidden it. There were protocols, but Rolo had to have been alone, so his options were limited. If he was also under orders to return swiftly, then he would not have been able to leave town, not with 'it' in the trunk.

'Calm down, and think it over from the start. Where could Rolo have got 'it' in the first place? There are only few places, even with his power, that would allow him to... Of course!' He grabbed a map, and studied it intently. Yes, that matched. It had to be there. Now the only question was when to tip the authorities off. If Rolo was present in the execution, then tomorrow would be the perfect time to trigger the bomb and with a little luck, drive Rolo into their arms. And worst-case, Rolo would die. It would be a shame, as the boy had very useful talents, but if he had to choose, then he would rather have Rolo six feet under than on the enemy's side.

The odds for Rolo's presence were very high. Even if the boy didn't want to, Cornelia would not allow such a powerful machine as the golden Knightmare to not be there to be a reserve in the case of a breakout. And she would have to be brain-dead to not expect an attempt to rescue the man who was a living symbol that Britannia was just as prone to mistakes as any other army, and while Cornelia could and had been called many things, stupid was not one of them. Still, it was better to have confirmation that Rolo was there before he sprang the trap, or it would all have been in vain.

But confirmation was relatively easy to get. A golden-shimmering Knightmare was not that easy to overlook, especially since the standard Britannian Frame-color was purple. He chuckled to himself. "Rolo, soon you will no longer be a problem, one way or the other."

-0-

Rolo looked at the phone he had taken from the duke's son. His vacation had been suspended by direct order of Cornelia li Britannia, as she wanted to have the Vincent on standby in case someone, the most probable candidates wore black and used a title commonly associated with Britannia, tried to break Kyoshiro Tohdoh out. He himself had no problem with that, but a noble would be most upset, and he had to keep up the illusion that it was a noble that piloted the Vincent. So he wrote a short text-message back that, so he felt, adequately described the anger a noble was at getting his holiday interrupted. The message he got back was short, to the point, and expected.

"_Dully noted. Get your ass in gear, now!"_

Rolo took his other phone and typed Bartley's number. His superior would need to be informed of the change in plans.

-0-

"I see. Well, there's no other choice. You will take your position and ensure that the terrorist Tohdoh is executed." Bartley ordered.

"Understood." Rolo replied, before cutting the connection.

Bartley bit his lip. This was troublesome. This operation was not planned, and that made him nervous. The boy didn't know, but Bartley could throw the boy a good distance further than he trusted him, and he never let Rolo do any operation without at least three people he trusted, meaning soldiers loyal to him, having Knightmare-sniper-rifles pointed at his cockpit. In this case, he'd be lucky if he could get one person in position.

Bartley feared Geass. This power that defied logic, that toyed with the minds of all, even his own. At the same time, he craved it, wishing to possess it himself, and was filled with deepest envy to all who could wield it. As there was no way for Bartley to gain the power himself, he felt threatened by it. If he could, he would kill every single Geass-user, but those few that he had access to were indirectly protected by the emperor, who found them too useful to simply kill off.

Still, the boy creeped him out more than anyone else. He could walk up, cut Bartley's throat and leave without even him knowing anything happened. Still, his services were useful, and Bartley's reputation had skyrocketed ever since the Vincent was doing such fabulous work under his command. If there really was an attempt to bust Tohdoh out, then Rolo would be there to foil it. And with that, Bartley's reputation would soar even higher. He couldn't wait.

-0-

The next day had crawled for all involved. Cornelia had been strapped down in her office listening to nobles that had more than they deserved whining about petty stuff. One, who was pushing sixty, actually tried to get her to order Lord Stadtfeld to sign a marriage-contract for his daughter, who was about Euphie's age, with him. Throwing him out if her office with generous use of her boot had been the best thing that happened all day.

In a minute of peace, she found Kururugi's file. "Now this is interesting." She muttered as she read that Tohdoh had been Kururugi's teacher for many years. This seemed the perfect test for the loyalty of the pilot of one of Britannia's most recent technical revolutions. If he could truly kill the man that trained him, then his loyalty was above any doubt.

-0-

The other side of the war had also suffered from anxiety, boredom, and the phenomenon of every minute somehow expanding to contain at least 200 seconds. Lelouch, V.V. and Kallen were almost relieved when their day of school was finally over, and they could turn to more important business.

V.V., who was not directly participating in the rescue, had finally gotten the confirmation that a certain golden Knightmare was indeed being stationed in the prison Tohdoh was kept. He laughed. "Finally things are falling into place." Then he looked at his primary contractor.

"Lelouch, after we pick up the delivery, I'll need someone to bring me here." He lifted a map and pointed at a specific part of it, close to the the 'entertainment'-sector.

Lelouch grinned. "So you plan to enjoy adult-pleasures? Tut tut, they'll throw you out. And while we risk our lives to boot."

V.V. growled. "Don't play stupid, it doesn't fit you. And its creepy. This is important. If all goes well, we will finally be rid of Rolo, one way or the other. Here, keep this communicator in your ear."

Lelouch raised a brow, but took the small earpiece. "I'll arrange something. But now lets hurry, before we're late."

-0-

The delivery had arrived before them, and now the organization of everything was dragging on. Maintenance, checkups, equipping of weaponry, such things took time. Especially on the Guren, as the smallest mistake with the Surger could cause it to explode.

Unfortunately, Tamaki was not known for his patience. "Oh, just stuff the damn stuff in already, we're supposed to be ready to sortie in ten!"

"Oh no you don't! Take as much time as you need, and be careful! Guren is very delicate. It was such a frail, delicate thing when I gave birth to her." A new voice interrupted.

Tamaki spun around to see who spoke, and found a tanned woman with bleach-blond hair and an odd spot on her forehead, glaring at him while holding a long pipe. He frowned as he tried to imagine this woman giving birth to the Guren, but the mental image was just too bizarre. "Who the hell are you?" He asked.

"Rakshata Chawla." Zero's voice rang out. Heads turned as he walked towards them, followed by V.V.. "How nice to finally meet the Guren's creator in person. I've been following some of your works with great interest."

Rakshata's brow raised in interest. Should she really find someone with whom she could discuss work? "Really."

Zero shrugged. "Yes. Your work on artificial limbs and general enhancement were especially fascinating." For the simple reason that they may help Nunnally walk once again.

Rakshata smiled. "Well, I'm not the type to cling to the past." Unless of course, it involved a certain Earl of Pudding.

Now Kallen entered, dressed in a new garb that nicely pronounced her every curve. "Excuse me, but will this really improve my synchro-ratio with the Guren?"

Rakshata rolled her eyes. "Of course not." She held in a chuckle at Kallen's dumbfounded expression. "It's going to improve your life-expectancy."

Zero nodded. "In any case, I would like to introduce you to my associate, V.V.. I know that he doesn't look like much, but you will be pleasantly surprised at his competence."

Rakshata looked at the boy, first thinking it to be a joke. "Hello child." She stated in a dismissing manner.

V.V. was entirely unaffected by her barely-veiled dismissal. "Good evening. I must say, the Radiant Wave Surger is an impressive piece of machinery with great potential. I still haven't figured out the final algorithm to allow the energy to merge into a barrier that would allow it to be used as a shield."

Now Rakshata was interested. "Oho, you say that you have most of it figured out?"

V.V. handed her one of the six notebooks he was carrying with him. "In this one I have most of my ideas, formulas and schematics for different applications of the Surger."

Rakshata glanced over them, and knew that she had found her new bedtime literature. This was fascinating. "Wait, the vector in this one..." And with that, she and V.V. started a conversation so filled with technical terms that nobody else understood anything but gibberish.

"Do you have any idea what they're talking about?" Kallen whispered to Zero.

"Gibberish. Seriously though, No idea, but as long as it benefits us, I'm not even going to try and get into this conversation."

Five minutes later Rakshata sniffed, before pulling V.V. into a hug. "I love this child. Is he up for adoption?"

"You want him? Take him." Kallen muttered, echoing vocally what Lelouch had just thought.

Zero cleared his throat. "I take it you agree with my assessment of my associate?"

Rakshata nodded eagerly. "Oh yes, he's brilliant!" She looked to him and actually cuddled him. Had any of her old assistants seen this scene, they would have gotten brain-cramps, as Rakshata never showed emotions to anything that possessed a heart of biological tissue. "You and I are going to have so much fun together!" She called out.

Zero nodded. "As much as it hurts me to break up this touching scene, you both have something to do. Rakshata, the keys please?" She handed him a ring with activation-keys, before turning away to supervise the final checkups, and making sure that no imbecile laid hand on her child. Zero turned to his fellow knights. "Minami, since you're not participating in this operation, could you do me a favor?"

Minami nodded quickly. "Sure, what is it?"

Zero nodded towards V.V.. "I need you to bring him to a specific place, which he will personally tell you. While this sounds stupid, I assure you that it is vital that he gets there before the rescue of Tohdoh."

Minami nodded, and went to a car, V.V. trailing behind him.

Zero on the other hand smiled beneath his helmet as he noticed four figures blocking his path. "Ah, the Four Holy Swords. It's an honor to finally meet you in person." He offered his hand, and Senba, being the oldest and as such, theoretical leader, shook it.

"The honor is ours, Zero-san."

Zero nodded his head. "Zero will do. I make an effort to stay close enough to those that fight with me to not alienate them, and looking at what we will do together this very night, I feel that we have no need for such formalities."

The four soldiers exchanged glances. Finally, they nodded. "As you wish, Zero. We thank you for your assistance."

Zero waved them off. "Think nothing of it. It is not yet time for Kyoshiro Tohdoh to leave this world, as there is much that still needs to be done. Japan still needs him. And you four. Since we're on the topic, follow me please."

He lead them to a set of five containers. "When I heard that Tohdoh was captured, I suspected that you four would soon come here, as skilled as you are, you four will not be able to rescue him alone. So I asked Kyoto to send these to me, so that I can give them to you."

The hatches opened, and the Four Holy Swords stared at what they saw. Zero laughed. "Gentlemen, and lady, may I introduce you to the Gekka? These models here have been designed based one the Guren Mk II, and I can assure you they pack a punch. Their specs are far beyond the Britannian average, making these Frames here Knightmares of the sixth, if not the seventh generation. These machines can run laps around any Sutherland or Gloucester the Britannians can field. The only thing aside from a lucky blow that these have to fear are the two units that have been causing us all much grief, the Lancelot and the Golden Knightmare. They are all equipped with an anti-Knightmare machine-gun mounted on the left arm, and Revolving Blade Sword, which you all may remember from your own customized Burai. But enough said, I would like to introduce you to your new Knightmares."

The Four Holy Swords, who had shown themselves reasonably impressed, stared at the news that these machines were for them. "You mean, you're just giving these to us?"

Zero shrugged. "I don't see why not. They were made for you in the first place, there is a fifth one for Tohdoh as well, I merely delivered them to you, although I do hope that you will use them well in the upcoming operation. The pilot-suits are in a suitcase next to the Knightmare's left foot. I will leave you all alone to familiarize yourselves with them. We are moving out in thirty minutes, the operation starts two hours later. I believe that will be all for now?"

Only one member had the strength to speak. Asahina, a bespectacled young man with a scar running over his right eye. "Yes, thank you very much for your cooperation."

Zero laughed. "Think nothing of it, as I said before, the time for Kyoshiro Tohdoh to die has not yet come."

He walked away, mentally steeling himself for the last confrontation. He entered the mobile command-center, and was immediately glomped. "Good evening, Lady Kaguya. To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?"

Kaguya smiled at him. "The Six Houses of Kyoto decided that, as the now biggest resistance in Japan, you should have a direct contact and observer."

Zero tilted his head. "Why? Are the reports from the seventeen unofficial observers Kyoto sent as recruits that inconclusive?"

Now Kaguya was baffled. "You knew?"

Zero nodded, the mask hiding his smile, although his voice was filled with mirth. "As a person, Mao is rather unpleasant, but you will not find anyone that can get into other people's heads like they do. Mao was present in multiple meetings with the Black Knights and spotted every rat that managed to sneak past our screenings. At that point it took little effort to find out just what hole our rats had crawled from."

Kaguya's brows shot up. "That man is good."

Zero shrugged. "He knows what he's doing, that much is certain. However, I would like to know one thing."

"Yes?" Kaguya asked.

"Why are you here, lady Kaguya?" Zero asked. "If it was a simple matter of keeping a close eye on us, there are plenty others who could do so. Why does one of the leaders of Kyoto come all the way here, to do a job that any of her inferiors could have done?"

Kaguya gave him a smile that was just a little too innocent to be innocent. "Because I wanted to."

There was something she wasn't saying. Lelouch had no idea what it was, or if he even wanted to know, but there was something that she wasn't saying.

"And I wanted to see the fabulous victories of Zero-sama live, not just reported or on screen."

Hidden beneath his helmet, Lelouch's brow twitched. He thought that Kaguya had been sent to spy on him. That she was sent because people underestimated her because of her age and behavior. That she could easily overhear things and not be suspicious when snooping around. All of this was true, but the main-reason she had come, Lelouch realized with a silent groan, was simply because Kaguya was a hopeless fangirl of Zero. As if he didn't have enough of those as Lelouch Lamperouge.

-0-

Lloyd hung the phone up as if it were a disgusting, slimy creature. Cecile looked up. "What was that about?"

Lloyd sighed. "Apparently, her highness Cornelia spontaneously decided that she wanted Suzaku to execute Tohdoh."

Cecile blinked. "But why?"

Lloyd shrugged. "Probably a test of loyalty or something ridiculous like that. But it means that since I'm Suzaku's superior, I have to go and fill all those forms. Yuck, I hate bureaucracy."

Now Cecile's eyes flashed angrily. "Lloyd! Poor Suzaku has to kill someone, and all you think about is that you have to do some paperwork?"

Lloyd waved her off, still wallowing in self-pity too much to see the storm coming. "Suzaku's a soldier, killing is in his job-description."

Cecile's brow twitched. "Lloyd," She said sweetly, and the mad scientist looked up, now alert and worried "I think we have to have another talk about what is appropriate and what is not."

Lloyd wrecked his brain to find an excuse that would allow him to escape this lecture. Those were horrible, and they occasionally ended in acts of physical violence, something that Lloyd feared more than anything else. Well, except maybe damage to his precious creations. Finally he had an idea. "Let's get Suzaku, the viceroy doesn't like waiting."

Cecile considered this. "Fine." She finally relented. "However, but before Suzaku enters, you will learn proper behavior towards your fellow human beings. Your behavior is absolutely appalling, do you have no..."

Lloyd whimpered as the rain of scolding words went down on him. This was hell.

-0-

Minami had brought V.V. to the Denu River, as minor stream branching of the Ayase River, and the river flowing through the entertainment-sector built by the Britannians. V.V. knew that if Rolo had caught the duke's son anywhere, then here, as he was a well-known guest in some of these establishments.

There was still enough time for the police to find it, identify what it was, and send notice to the military. If they were lucky, it would happen right when the battle for Tohdoh was raging, if not, then oh well.

He found a telephone-boot and entered. These things were rare, but in sectors like these, where a husband might want to call some numbers that his wife shouldn't find in his list of callers, they were still built. And like all phone-boots, this one worked without money if you dialed a certain number. Granted, that number was different now, but the other end of the line was still the same.

"Tokyo Police, what is the problem?"

V.V. smirked, but gave his voice a panicked note. "Police? I'm in the entertainment-sector by the Denu River, just a second ago, a bloody jacket flowed past here. It looked expensive and there was some crest on it, a bird with spread wings, like an eagle or something. I think someone's hurt!"

The officer, at first distrusting at the sound of such a young voice, grew nervous when he heard the description. It sounded like the jacket belonged to a member of a noble family, and only four families had a bird with spread wings in their crest, all four bearing the title duke, and all four having some relative in Tokyo. If there really was a dead noble in that river, then it would be hell. "Where are you, boy?" He asked, but the boy had hung up. Damn! Why did little kids have to be so rash?

He grabbed his radio. "This is inspector Miles speaking, we may have a situation. We just got a call that a bloody jacket with the crest of a bird with spread wings is floating down the Denu River. We may have a duke or his family in that river, requesting all available men down to the river for a search, and as many divers as you can." If there really was a dead noble in that river, then the weather-report had just announced a massive shitstorm.

-0-

Euphemia looked at her brother. "Clovis, don't misunderstand me, it's really a great honor, but do you really want to name your museum after me?"

Clovis enthusiastically nodded his head. "Of course. The Euphemian Museum of Art. I think it sounds wonderful." He leaned towards her conspiratorially. "Truth be told, I'm just glad I won't have to call it the Clovis Memorial Museum of Art. It just doesn't sound right."

Euphemia slapped his shoulder in mock-anger. "Clovis! That's not funny! You really could have died!"

Clovis laughed. "But I didn't. And that's why I think it is only fair for me to joke about it, so that all know that I am neither traumatized by the events, nor does everyone have to tiptoe around the issue. Some of my guards have actually tried to conceal their weapons, as to quote-unquote 'not bring up bad memories'. Heaven knows what they are thinking. Do they really believe I will shriek and hide in corners every time I see a gun?"

Euphemia had to giggle at the idea. "That wouldn't be like you. But Clovis, why am I here?"

Clovis nodded sagely. "Ah yes, I didn't tell you, did I? Well it's simple. To celebrate the opening of this noble house of art, its naming-parent shall wander it, and pin this flower to the frame of the work she likes best."

Euphemia blinked. "Me? But Clovis, I don't know anything about art."

"Euphy, that's not the point. I'm not asking you to point out which of these works took longest to make, I'm just asking you to point out the one you like best."

She was still a bit uncertain, but she smiled at her brother, thankful for his show of trust, little as it was.

-0-

Suzaku stared into empty space. He had to kill Tohdoh-sensei. It was a bitter thought. The man had been a harsh, but just trainer, and he had covered up his murder of his father, in a way, Tohdoh was like a father to him. But Tohdoh had chosen a side, and Suzaku had chosen the other side, and even Suzaku knew that neither of them would accept that they had chosen the wrong side, so there was really nothing to say or do.

Tohdoh was ready to die. Now it was Suzaku's duty to prepare himself to kill. But as many times as Suzaku told himself that he was ready, there was still a voice in the back of his head saying 'No, you're not.'

For what felt like the thousandth time this evening, Suzaku sighed. Why did this have to be so difficult. His decision was made, his resolution was firm, and he knew that he had chosen the correct path.

So why was he still hesitating? Why was he afraid of tomorrow, the day he would execute Kyoshiro Tohdoh, the man who helped raise him? Why did his body want nothing more than run away?

-0-

While Euphy looked at different paintings, Clovis, who was walking next to her, was giving giving the curator distrusting glances, as the man was apparently trying to subtly push his half-sister towards a certain painting, one that depicted their father. Clovis had to suppress a snort. The painting was not even that well made, and if someone for some bizarre reason wanted to see the picture depicted, all he had to do was turn on the television.

Euphie paused before one painting, which showed a house with garden in a serene background. The very picture seemed to call feelings of comfort, of that fuzzy feeling of a nice day home. "I really like this one." Euphy declared.

The curator cleared his throat. "Yes well, our research showed that the artist was a quarter Eleven. Either way, why don't you look at this one. It was painted by the son of..."

Clovis was towering over the man before he could say 'propaganda'. "And precisely what are you trying to tell us with that? This is a museum for art, a noble institution whose entire purpose lies in gathering objects which touch the human heart. In this noble profession, it is not the artist that matters, but the work that he produces. I would not care if the artist was a chimpanzee. As for this one, it is not bad, but in this line of work, a title does not replace talent, or do you disagree?" It was not commonly known, but there was one thing that Clovis would die to keep free from bigotry, and that was art.

If he could, he would have the curator publicly flayed for daring to try bringing politics into art, the one place where racism had no place.

While the cowardly man wilted under the gaze of an angered Clovis la Britannia that was as cold and sharp as an icicle, Euphy shot her brother a grateful smile, knowing that even if she would chose the picture that was not politically involved, even if she picked the picture of the quarter-Eleven, her brother would support her. If felt nice to have an ally at your back.

-0-

"I assume that everyone knows what he has to do?" Zero asked.

"Positive." "Yes." "Of course." "Hai." "Sure do." Answered him. He made a mental note to get a little more discipline into his troops. They were about to begin an operation that many would label suicidal, and a little professionalism would be very reassuring right now.

The plan was simple, though its completion was not. They had found the rhythm of the guards, and new the window of opportunity to plant the explosives to break down the wall. After that, the Four Holy Swords would be the spear-tip of the assault, crushing all resistance, something that they assured would not be a problem, and then take on the Lancelot, should it make an appearance. The Guren would follow, and engage the golden Knightmare as soon as it popped up, as it had done so before, and because Kallen was the only one that stood a chance against Rolo's Geass, not that anyone else knew that. The Four Holy Swords and the rest of the Black Knights simply thought that there were some grudges between Kallen and the golden one. Zero himself would then secure Tohdoh and bring him to the Akatsuki reserved for him. They would then cause some more chaos, maybe even take out some bigger pests, namely the Lancelot and the golden Frame, and retreat before things turned grim.

Zero took a deep breath. "The explosives will be placed in T minus three, the actual attack starts T minus five. Double-check your equipment, this operation has no room for failure."

"Understood."

Behind his mask, Lelouch smiled. Everyone had said the same thing, and almost at the same time, too. Perhaps there was hope for them after all. Especially once Tohdoh was on his side, and giving his soldiers a few drills. God knew they needed them.

-0-

Miles looked at the river. It had been over an hour since the call, and he was starting to scold himself for falling for what obviously had been a child's prank.

"FUCK! WE FOUND SOMEONE!"

Miles spun around. A diver had surfaced, waving his arm. Miles and the others ran to him. "And?" Miles asked.

The diver took off his mask. "Well, there's someone down there, that much's for sure. But he's been there a while. The body is so bloated that I'm worried it'll fall apart if we try to bring him up."

Miles nodded. "So, any clue on what we might have found?"

The diver laughed. "Not even his own mother could identify that one, but what's left of his clothes look like it once had a hefty price-tag. It's obviously not an Eleven beggar that slipped. We can be grateful that the corpse got stuck in some garbage at the river bend, or it would be feeding the fishes of Tokyo bay by now. So, what do we do now?"

Miles bit his lip. He wasn't that high up the pecking-order, but since he had been the one that ordered the search, they all looked at him for the decisions, mainly to not get too involved if something went wrong. "Bring him up carefully. Try to keep him as intact as possible, but the head is the highest priority. Since I don't think we'll get finger-prints, we need the teeth for identification. As soon as that's done, get me an ID on this guy."

The diver nodded and replaced his goggles. This would not be pretty.

-0-

Lloyd sat in the prison office, feeling very sorry for himself. Yes, the words he had spoken were cruel and heartless, or at least that was what he had declared after Cecile's verbal mauling to prevent a repeat-performance, but the core of it had been true. Lloyd was giving his thirty-seventh signature, and the stack wasn't even halfway-down. He felt like a popstar giving autographs, and while his work was amazing enough that such a worship would be absolutely justified, it was not his favorite duty.

A new sheet was placed before him, and with the first glance Lloyd saw three spots he had to sign. Worse still, Cecile was sitting next to him, and the woman insisted that he carefully read through everything he signed, permanently reminding him of a certain event that had taken place back when they were still in college. "I have to sign this too?" He whimpered. According to Cecile, his three wishes were up, but if someone, anyone up there heard him, then please let something, anything happen to spare him this torture.

On cue, a number of explosions broke the tensed silence. Lloyd's head snapped towards the window, and he nearly laughed when he saw four unknown Knightmares break through the dust and charge towards the troops, followed closely by a fifth one in red that seemed very familiar. Lloyd made a mental note to give a prayer of gratitude when he was alone. He grinned. "Oh good, now we're free of this hellish paperwork." He exclaimed.

For some odd reason, Cecile was not as happy as he was.

-0-

"Oh man, now we're talking!" Urabe howled as he cut two Sutherland in half. "This feels like back in Itsukushima."

Chiba laughed. "Only this time we have our own Knightmares."

"And they kick ass." Urabe nodded happily.

Senba of course was the voice of reason. "Don't let down your guard. Remember what happened the last time we got cocky."

"The Phantom of Itsukushima." Asahina growled, remembering how he got his scar. "But he's not here. We don't know if he's even alive."

"But look whose trying to take up that role." Urabe growled as a golden Knightmare shot around a corner. "How convenient, we still owe him for the commander."

"Sorry, but he and I have unfinished business." Came a new voice, originating from a red Knightmare with a silver claw that elegantly zigzagged around the Four Holy Swords and charged its golden nemesis. Kallen knew that against what Rolo could do, they would be out of their depth, simply because they had no idea that the forces he, Lelouch and herself wielded even existed. "Lets dance asshole!" She shouted out, drawing the golden Knightmare's attention to her.

And indeed Rolo immediately corrected the angle of his charge, shooting towards the Guren like a shark on a wounded fish. Apparently Kallen was not the only one that didn't think the end of their last battle unsatisfactory and was itching for a rematch.

The two clashed, Kallen's Surger blocking the enemy's blade. She knew that in an open space like this, she was at a disadvantage, as Rolo could strike her without coming too close to the Surger, so she took her remaining course of action, she instantly came right up to his face, the space between the two frames less than a foot.

Rolo blinked, not having expected such a stupid move. He readied his weapons, when he realized that the Guren's face was now filling his screen, including the blinding lamps. "Shit!" He called and covered his eyes, just in time to catch the first glimmer of the lamps, but blocking the brunt of it.

However in doing so, he had taken his eyes off the enemy, something that Kallen mercilessly pounded on. Instead of grabbing him with the Surger, which would have provoked a counterattack, she kicked the other Frame in the back of the knee, destroying its balance. She gave a Geass-laced shout of victory when the cockpit collided with with the ground, hard.

-0-

Rolo groaned. He had hit his head.

"Report!" Bartly barked.

"I think I have a concussion." Role stammered out. "My equilibrium is gone." But even without balance, Rolo knew that he was a sitting duck right now. He activated the Blaze Needle in the direction he hoped his enemy was at, and fired. It saved his life, as the Guren had already aimed for his cockpit and was forced to pull back.

Rolo righted the Knightmare, only to notice that his concussion was worse than he thought, as he had problems telling where his limbs were when he wasn't looking at them, meaning that operating the pedals was now a task that required a glance, meaning taking the eyes off the enemy. Even with his Geass, this would turn into another dragged-out fight, unless he passed out.

-0-

Meanwhile, unnoticed, a black Burai with a red and golden headpiece slipped past all the action and slid towards the prison-area, sneakier than anyone would have thought a Knightmare to be able to. After all, Lelouch was a man on a mission, and getting caught was not part of it.

-0-

"Sir, we have an ID."

Miles spun around. "Who is it?"

The constable wordlessly handed him a folder with a picture. Miles grimaced. "Fuck!"

The other man nodded. "Yes sir. Son of a duke, military, this is big. The autopsy isn't done, but looking at how bloated the corpse was, the guys at the morgue said that the guy was dead for at least a week, maybe more."

Miles groaned. The son of a duke was dead for a week, and nobody had noticed. "Heads will role over this." He stated, already calculating to prevent his from being one of them. "Either way, since the guy is military, we'll push this to them. Corporal, inform the military of this development. Let them deal with the hassle this brings."

The corporal saluted. "Sir yes sir!"

Miles sighed. With the report he had to write, plus the fact that the electronics in their station had been faulty and failed to record the voice of the caller, this would be a long week. Of course, the argument that because of the military presence the police had been underfunded for years would now finally be put on the table. Who knew, maybe some good would come from all this.

-0-

Tohdoh sat in his cell. He was a soldier, and if truth be told, he was a samurai. He had been trained since the age of three for this noble art, mixing both old school practice honing body, sword and bow, with newer lessons in strategy, battle-tactics and use of modern weaponry. But more than the physical training, his mind had been steeled. He did not fear death nor pain, and even when the news that his own student, Suzaku Kururugi, would be his executioner had reached him, Tohdoh had not shown weakness.

Still, thinking of Suzaku woke mixed feelings in him. He had liked the boy, who had been very talented, even protecting him when his duty had demanded that he not, and had been amongst the few that did not hate the boy for choosing to become an honorary Britannian. Suzaku's heart was at the right place, he was still fighting for Japan in his own way, and as long as that was the case, Tohdoh would respect his decision. He did not believe that Suzaku could succeed, but the boy had to make his own experiences in life. Perhaps Suzaku was hoping to become Knight of One, and choose Japan as his area to govern. The boy didn't understand that the title Knight of One didn't mean that your opinion means anything to the emperor, but that the emperor's opinion meant everything to you. The Britannian exchange of opinions: You go to the emperor with your opinion and return with his.

His student had chosen his path, and it seemed that to walk it, the boy would step over his teacher's corpse. If the boy had the will, then Tohdoh would begrudge him his choices. Tohdoh was prepared to die, and now the only question was if Suzaku was prepared to kill.

He looked up to see two soldiers looking at him.

"Looks like someone is trying to bust you out," The first one stated "so her highness ordered for your informal execution to prevent an escape." With that, both aimed their guns at him.

It seemed as if his student would not kill him after all. Tohdoh closed his eyes. "Do as you want. I have already given up my life once, it is worth nothing."

"In that case, I shall lay claim to that worthless life." The wall broke, burying both guards beneath them. In the opening was a Burai, the cockpit open and a mask that anybody in Japan would recognize looking at the scene before him.

"Zero." Tohdoh acknowledged. "I am grateful to you for your attempt to aid commander Katase, but my master is dead. It would be a disgrace for the servant to outlive the master."

"Wrong!" Zero called out. "It would be a disgrace to leave the Japanese like this, crushing their hopes. Kyoshiro Tohdoh, through your actions at Itsukushima, you have given the Japanese a hope that to this day they still cling to, for you have proven that the Britannians are as mortal and prone to failure as anyone else. The reason the resistance is fiercer here than anywhere else is not merely because Japan surrendered before all its military strength was exhausted, it is because they _know_ that Britannia can fall. Because of your action Japan still fights, and dying now would be a disgrace to Japan and an insult to those that fought and died for it!"

Now Tohdoh glared at him. "So you want me to perform another miracle for you?" He demanded.

Zero laughed. "Oh no, I think that I have sufficiently proven that as far as miracles go, I am quite capable myself. No, you never created a miracle, what you did was a result of superb intelligence, excellent strategy and complete discipline of both yourself and your soldiers. And that Kyoshiro Tohdoh, is why I want you. I expect you to plan, to fight for Japan even after it is freed. You see, I have plans that go further than freeing Japan. We could liberate Japan in a few weeks if we really wanted to, but we could not hold it. I need more than guerillas willing to liberate their county, I. need soldiers willing to defend their country. I need your experience Tohdoh, to prevent that Japan is reconquered the moment after it is freed. You are a samurai Tohdoh, and as such I expect you to fight until your last breath, until your name has been worn out and your body broken. I expect you to fight for Japan until you are but a shadow, until the names of the Miracle-maker Tohdoh, of the revolutionary Zero, and of the Black Knights are but faint mumbles in the flow of eternity. So Kyoshiro Tohdoh, will you take responsibility for the flames of hope you have lit in the hearts of the Japanese and fight until your last breath, or will you remain here and rot away? Understand Tohdoh, that I am not asking you to become my servant. I am demanding that you fight by my side, for Japan, for freedom, and for all the blood that has been spilled to reach the spot that we are standing on now."

Tohdoh looked at him. One thing was for sure, Zero was a gifted speaker. Then he laughed. "It seems that my time has not yet come. You are right, Japan is not yet free. So as long as your intentions remain honorable, I will give you my sword."

Lelouch smiled behind his mask. Tohdoh had just entered his service. "Very well. Your subordinates will be ecstatic to see you again. Come now oh knight, your new steed awaits you." Then he turned to the radio. "Begin Phase II."

-0-

Bartley watched the battle. It was a bit like the old gladiator-games the Romans played, only that everyone knew who would win. Britannia was invincible, and in only a few minutes, it would be raining Knightmares on the rebels' heads. Still, that red Knightmare was a bother, as it always got in the way of Rolo's victory, and the boy seemed to be jinxed when fighting that one. Still, it couldn't take much longer.

"Sir, we have a problem!" One of his assistants called out.

Bartley turned. "What is it?"

"We just managed to catch a report from the police to the military." the assistant reported.

Bartley nodded. They were eavesdropping, like always. What was the problem? "And?"

The assistant gulped. "The police just pulled the body of Duke Hemmingston's son out of the Denu River."

Bartley stared at the man. Duke Hemmingston's son was the designated pilot of the Vincent, the one Rolo had replaced. What on earth was that boy thinking? He was supposed to knock him out and lock him up somewhere, not kill the man! Then Bartley realized what had happened. He remembered his own words

"_Your mission will be to take aver the Vincent and do the scheduled missions in his stead. You are to perform to the best of your abilities, although try to make sure that your cover isn't blown at the worst possible time.__"_

How could he have been so stupid? To a child-soldier, the easiest and best way of making sure that one's cover wasn't blown was to ensure that there was nobody to blow the cover. Rolo had interpreted his order the way he was used to, seeing the duke's son as an obstacle and removed it. Even worse, now that the corpse was found, Cornelia would learn of it. If this was traced back to him...

-0-

Lelouch opened the hatch of his cockpit to allow Tohdoh to exit and enter his own Gekka. Unlike those of the Four Holy Swords, his was black and had two long red hair-pieces.

The greeting between Tohdoh and his subordinates was brief and heartfelt, until the Lancelot appeared. Lelouch had given Tohdoh an overview of the Lancelot's capabilities, as well as the identity of his pilot, so Tohdoh was prepared and could act on his knowledge, rather than having to be instructed, allowing Lelouch to concentrate on aiding Kallen with a few aimed shots whenever the golden monster got just a little too close for comfort.

With the odds being one on two and one on five respectively, the Black Knights were easily able to hold their ground, and do some damage to the structure out of spite.

-0-

Silence rang in the museum, as all eyes were focused on the big screen that showed the events at the prison. It was of course impressive how two lone Knights were standing up to seven enemies, although the white one was more impressive, fighting five at the same time, but that they were the only defense was worrisome. Had the enemy already destroyed the other guards? Were these two the last line of defense?

The crowd gasped as one when the top of the white Frame's cockpit was cut off, and gasped again when they saw just who was piloting the machine.

"An Eleven!" "Wasn't that Kururugi?" "The son of Area 11's last prime minister? Why is he in a pilot-seat and not a prison?" "Didn't he shoot Clovis?"

At that point Clovis la Britannia drew a line. "No, Suzaku Kururugi did most certainly not shoot me. He is a loyal soldier of the empire, who has proven both his worth and his dedication to the crown on multiple occasions."

Euphemia smiled gratefully at her brother, who had voiced the thoughts that she herself had been too shy to speak.

But the crowd still mumbled, especially after the Black Knights began to slowly retreat. At that moment Euphy decided to make a bold move. "I ask for your attention. Earlier this evening you have asked about my knight. Yes, it is true that one will enter my service. You have all just seen him on the screen. Suzaku Kururugi is my knight!"

Absolute silence reigned, even Clovis stared for a second, before his features changed to give the impression that this wasn't news to him, while showing his approval. The only thought running through his head was that Cornelia was going to butcher him.

-0-

"Kallen, we're pulling out. Enemy reinforcements will be here in a matter of minutes, and we really don't want to be here when they arrive."

Kallen didn't take her eyes off the enemy. "Understood." She answered nonetheless, as she drove the Guren in a slow reverse, not taking her eyes off the enemy for a second.

However, it seemed that Rolo was willing to let her go, as she had already put eight feet distance between them without him moving a muscle. Then she noticed a movement from the corner of her eye.

-0-

Rolo was grateful that the red Knightmare seemed to slowly be retreating. His balance had still not recovered, and he was getting a feeling of vertigo. If the battle lasted much longer, then he would lose. He felt miserable.

As he slumped together in his seat, he glanced to his side. A Knightmare was on the roof of the prison, a sniper-rifle in hand. It seemed that the red machine would fall today.

Suddenly his eyes widened as he realized that the Sutherland wasn't even aiming for the red machine, but him! But the sniper had shot a moment before Rolo realized this. He was in trance as he saw the bullet flying towards him, directly flying at his cockpit. His senses had been tensed enough for him to actually see the bullet, but there was no time. No time to dodge, no time to block, no time to even move. All he could do was watch as his death approached. Then there was an impact. But the bullet was still in the air!

'The red machine!' Rolo realized, before the bullet impacted and his world turned black.

The red machine had also seen the sniper, and charged him, the long leg shooting out and knocking the Vincent off-balance once more. It wasn't much, the bullet still pierced the cockpit, but now it hadn't hit the area of the pilot-seat, but a good bit above and to the right. There now was a chance that the pilot was still alive.

-0-

Lloyd had watched the whole display with distant amusement, up to the point where the five machines had ganged up on Lancelot and damaged it. However, the situation was under control, and the enemy was pulling back. Then some idiot fired at the Vincent.

Lloyd jumped up, murder in his eyes. "They shot Vincent? Those idiots shot my Vincent! THESE RIDICULOUS PATHETIC WASTES OF LIFE FIRED AT MY VINCENT!"

Cecile for once couldn't find the heart to scold Lloyd. She herself had put much work into that Knightmare, and seeing it being used as a target by their own men was also making her angry. If Lloyd left anything of the brainless baboon that fired, she would personally ensure that his life was hell.

-0-

Lelouch had been shocked when the shot came, but he saw the opportunity. "Grab that Knightmare, we're taking it in for research." He ordered, while giving off a shot at the Lancelot that managed to hit a Landspinner, followed by another volley aimed at the sniper.

Asahina and Chiba had broken off, dashed at the downed enemy and grabbed him, not caring much to what happened with the pilot. Still, they of course saw the value of the machine, and quickly popped the chaff to cover their escape.

They easily made it away, bringing two valuable pieces in with them, and in the safety of radio-silence and his cockpit, Lelouch laughed. He laughed a triumphant, mocking laugh.

-0-

But common knowledge dictates that if something seems too good to be true, then it probably is. On the Britannian mainland, Charles zi Britannia sat on his throne, looking at Dorothea Ernst, the Knight of Four. "And you are certain of this?" He asked-

She was leaning on his throne, and an immortal would have seen red rings in her eyes. She nodded. "Yes. I still have a connection, but it was time for a change of skin."

"Why now?" Charles asked. "And why send Alstream there of all places?"

Dorothea smiled. "Because they are there. Lelouch is causing quite a stir, and I want to see how he reacts to this. You have to admit, he is doing pretty good."

Charles laughed. "Indeed. He has a good head on his shoulders, equal to Schneizel. He inherited the best from both of us. Both our cunning, and your boldness. But still, why did you transfer your being? You seemed satisfied with Alstream."

Dorothea shrugged. "Because of Bartley. He's experimenting with V.V.s Geass Canceler. This way I will loose my last connection with Anya should she get caught in it, but otherwise I will be fine. If it hit me without any other place that my mind could flee to, I would either be forced back into my broken body, or simply fade away, and it is too soon for me to go. There are still things needed to be done before Ragnarok can be triggered."

Charles nodded. She was right. Things needed to be done. But for now, he and Marianne would lean back and watch how their son would deal with the newest turn of events. One thing that definitely couldn't be said about Lelouch vi Britannia was that he was not entertaining.

-0-

Bismark Waldstein stood in front of his fellow Knights of the Round. He had received orders from the emperor, and he would follow them. He looked around. Dorothea was not here, but aside from that, they were as close to complete as they currently could become. The Knights of Three, Six, Nine, Ten, and Twelve were present. He cleared his throat. "His majesty the emperor decided that the our newest member, the Knight of Six Anya Alstreim, will be transferred to Area 11, as she lacks actual experience on the battlefield. You will have one senior member of the Rounds accompany you as an adviser."

"I'll do it." The Knight of Ten, Luciano Bradley volunteered, thinking of the marvelous slaughter he could cause.

Bismark shook his head. "No Luciano, there is a different task that requires your skills. A group of religious extremists is rampaging in Area 18. The terrorists are terrifying both Britannians and Natives, so there will be little protest if martial law was used on them. However, deaths amongst Britannians and the peaceful Numbers is to be as close to zero as humanly possible, do you understand?"

Luciano's eyes had turned dreamy when he heard that he was basically allowed to slaughter each and every one of the terrorists, but he nodded. "Of course, of course. I'll depart as soon as possible to help our poor subjects live in peace."

Bismark nodded. "So, are there any volunteers for the duty of accompanying Anya? But do realize that you are there purely as a means of advice. You will not be entering combat unless there is truly no other way."

"Uh uh, here, I'll do it!" Gino Weinberg called out as he frantically waved his hand, the idea of what would amount to holiday in Area 11 sounding lovely in his ears.

"Are there other volunteers?" Bismark asked. He managed to not add 'Anyone?', but somehow everyone had heard it.

Another hand rose. "I'll do it."

Bismark nodded. This was not exactly who he had in mind when he asked for someone preventing the cocky clown of a Knight of Three from wrecking havoc on Area 11, but he'd take it.

"Very well. You will depart in a week's time."

* * *

Chapter 21 is finished. Whew, finally. I haven't updated for almost half a year, but it's finally done. This is probably one of, if not the longest chapter I've ever wrote. More than 12.500 words of story. Take it as an apology for the long wait.

Sorry for the long pause, it was a mix out of being busy, having writer's block, and my hard-drive croaking. Still, I hope you all liked the new chapter.

To my more recent fans, fanfiction removed my scene-breaks up to chapter 16, I'll be trying to put them back in. Seriously though, what was the big idea? This was sabotage and meddling with the stories of others. What do they care if we decide to put lines to make the story easier to read?

The reason I put that part about the altered Raikou in there was because while I like the idea of a linear cannon, I didn't like the Raikou in the Black Rebellion. It was essentially designed for the situation in Kawaguchi, but on open field, it is not a good weapon, for reasons I already stated. Also, it was too fragile. Seriously, how come everything explodes?

Rakshata and V.V.. What will these two think of, what monsters will they create? Oh, the fun I'll have, although they currently have limited resources, meaning that the really fun stuff can only show up after Japan is free. Rats.

As for Rolo, I guess I always liked him, and wanted him on Lelouch's side. And nobody can tell me that killing wouldn't be Rolo's first and most efficient way of ensuring that his cover wasn't blown.

Next chapter will be Rolo's first meeting with Lelouch and co, Milly's party, C.C., and maybe the appearance of the Rounds. And answer me this: Which Round will accompany Anya?

Someone told me that my story could be deleted if I keep directly answering reviews, so I'm just doing a Q&A. This also has the advantage that more people might read it, since I think only the people I directed the answer to bothered before, and I'm getting tired of having to answer the same questions over and over, in all of my fics.

Q: Will Euphy die?  
A: Most likely not, though my final decision hasn't been made yet.

Q: Is Marianne still alive? Does she have her Geass?  
A: I think that the answer is now obvious. The more interesting question would be, can Mao read Marianne's thoughts through the connection in Anya? The answer to that is a definite... maybe.

Q: Did Markus kill Marianne? And how do three people fit in the Guren's cockpit?  
A: No, he didn't. And how they fit? By making themselves very small, and being very uncomfortable.

Well, thanks for reading, and now

Please Review


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